


Psy·cho·log·i·cal: of, affecting, or arising in the mind; related to the mental and emotional state of a person; intellectual

by Jay_Blake



Category: Daredevil (TV), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: (sometimes), Alternate Universe, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Bigender Character, Bisexual Pietro Maximoff, Canon Disabled Character, Canon Jewish Character, Canon LGBTQ Male Character, Demisexuality, Developing Relationship, Erik has a thing about finding Polish women named Magda, F/F, F/M, Family, First Dates, Fix-It of Sorts, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Good Sibling Pietro Maximoff, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inaccurate Religious Practices, Insecurity, Kleptomania, Lorna Dane doesn't have metal powers, Lorna Dane is Pietro Maximoff's little sister, Lorna Dane is not related to Erik, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, POV Alternating, Paganism, Past Emotional Manipulation, Pietro Maximoff Goes by Peter, Pietro Maximoff in a dress what'll he do?, Pietro Maximoff-centric, Pietro uses both He/Him and She/Her Pronouns, Positive Manipulation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Post-X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019), Romance, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, X Mansion, and having mutant children with them, apparently, confess to the man he's been in love with for three years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:55:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_Blake/pseuds/Jay_Blake
Summary: He didn't mean to do these things. He'sliedto people all his life, he can't just suddenlystop.He'smanipulatedpeople to see him the way he wanted them to see him, he can't just benormal.There was always the choice, 'be himself' or 'be a mutant'. In high school and with his friends he chose to be himself, to wear what he wanted to wear, to look and speak andactthe way hewantedto. With the X-Men, he chose to be a mutant, a loud speedster who helped whoever he could, the comic relief that broke the tension and got rid of fear with jokes because that's what peopleneededfrom him.He couldn't beboth,he was taught that mutants could never be themselves. Being both just wasn't an option......Wasn't it?
Relationships: Azazel (X-Men)/Janos Quested, Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Foggy Nelson & Pietro Maximoff, Jean Grey & Pietro Maximoff, Jean Grey & Scott Summers, Jean Grey/Jubilation Lee, John Allerdyce/Bobby Drake, Kitty Pryde/Piotr Rasputin, Kurt Wagner/Warren Worthington III, Laura Kinney & Logan, Laura Kinney & Lorna Dane, Logan & Pietro Maximoff, Lorna Dane & Pietro Maximoff, Matt Murdock & Pietro Maximoff, Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Past Raven | Mystique/Azazel, Pietro Maximoff & Charles Xavier, Pietro Maximoff & Kurt Wagner, Pietro Maximoff & Ororo Munroe, Pietro Maximoff & Scott Summers, Pietro Maximoff & Warren Worthington III, Pietro Maximoff/Hank McCoy, Raven | Mystique/Angel Salvadore, Sean Cassidy/Alex Summers
Kudos: 21





	1. You're the one I want to go through time with

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark blue sock-covered feet paced slowly around the room, feet dragging quietly on the fluffy baby blue carpet that covered the bedroom floor. The carpet matched with the pale pink walls and it made the room feel more put together even though the room was already fully cleaned. No clothes or furniture out of place and the only things on the floor were random blueprints for trivial things. The feet stopped and a hand swept down to grab a blueprint and the figure straightened out with it in his hand.
> 
> Dark chestnut eyes behind clear lenses wandered over the sheet and analyzed the diagram on the grey paper. The top of the paper read **'Combat Visor; Sighted'** in dark blue writing. He placed the blueprint on top of his notebook and traced a finger over **'External Lense'** then across the page to **'Brake Shoe'** then up to **'Layered Ruby Quartz Lense'** He hummed softly then moved the paper up to write on his notebook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1,540 words)

__ _**February 12, Saturday, 10:47 PM** _

* * *

_'If I could save time in a bottle,'_

The song played softly in the background, the vinyl spinning on the record player that sat on the desk surrounded by hard-covered science books and lined papers filled with pen-written words. Splashes of yellow and pink highlighting certain words and phrases.

_'The first thing that I'd like to do,'_

It was dark outside, the light from the quarter moon shining in from the window and casting a soft glow over the room. One light illuminated the room from the inside, a lamp that rested on the small table that was located next to a bed covered in seafoam green silk sheets and dark green pillows. Also on the bedside table was a digital clock whose white letters read, '10:48' 

_'Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away,'_

Slight light peeked in from under the bedroom door from the hallway. Not every bedroom had a bathroom attached to it as this one did, a lot of the others had to leave their room to take care of their business. Though luckily they didn't have to go far to do so.

_'Just to spend them with you.'_

Dark blue sock-covered feet paced slowly around the room, feet dragging quietly on the fluffy baby blue carpet that covered the bedroom floor. The carpet matched with the pale pink walls and it made the room feel more put together even though the room was already fully cleaned. No clothes or furniture out of place and the only things on the floor were random blueprints for trivial things.

_'If I could make days last forever,'_

The rhythmic tapping of the end of a pen against the paper of a notebook was drowned out by the record, the silence of the mansion made the music seem louder in the stillness even though the sound wasn't heard from outside the room.

_'If words could make wishes come true,'_

The feet stopped and a hand swept down to grab a blueprint, and the figure straightened out with it in his hand. Dark chestnut eyes behind clear lenses wandered over the sheet and analyzed the diagram on the grey paper. Sometimes reading glasses were needed, some words were just too hard for him to read without them.

_'I'd save every day like a treasure and then,'_

The top of the paper read **'Combat Visor; Sighted'** in dark blue writing. He placed the blueprint on top of his notebook and traced a finger over the white letters of **'External Lense'** then across the page to **'Brake Shoe'** then up to **'Layered Ruby Quartz Lense'** He hummed softly then moved the paper up to write on his notebook.

_'Again I would spend them with you.'_

He dotted the end of his statement and clicked his pen closed, turning and putting it down on his desk next to the scattered papers around the record player. He pushed his glasses up when they slipped down the bridge of his nose.

_'But there never seems to be enough time,'_

He folded the blueprint and opened the top drawer of his desk to set it on top of multiple other blueprints. He grabbed a yellow highlighter from his desk then paused, he put it back and grabbed the blue one that was next to it.

_'To do the things you want to do once you find them,'_

He resumed pacing around the room. Using the blue highlighter he colored over specific phrases, such as **'Ruby Quartz powder'** and **'Demonstration needed(how?)*'** and **'Function over form(possible to change the design later for everyday use)'** and **'This is to be used for combat only, I will later manufacture a pair just for style if this one works.'** and **'Aluminum and small amounts of alloy are lightweight but as strong as stainless steel while Titanium is also lightweight and well-suited for frames(come back to it later)'**

_'I've looked around enough to know,'_

There was also a small footnote at the bottom of the page, '*Hank can get Scott to test these out without raising suspicion and he can also get all the materials I need to make the first test pair.' He didn't highlight it with the other sentences but it was underlined in pen. He would have never had thought about writing that a month ago but things had changed between the two of them.

_'That you're the one I want to go through time with.'_

He suddenly frowned, capped the highlighter, and leaned back against his desk. Where could he even **make** the first pair? The others walked in and out of Hank's lab as they pleased without knocking and he'd never get **anything** done, seeing as he didn't use his mutation to build things. Too easy to make mistakes.

_'If I had a box just for wishes,'_

He wasn't an artist but he paid attention to details, he liked to think of himself as someone who saw everything that nobody else did and he did. If you could ever get him to admit it (which he never would. He may be a liar but he wasn't a **traitor** ) he'd be able to tell you every fear that the others had, each of their secrets and lies, and how to get under their skin. He couldn't help that he saw everything but that was neither here nor there, right now he had to find a suitable place for his project.

_'And dreams that had never come true,'_

Now that he thought about it, his old lab was devoid of human life but he wasn't quite ready to step foot in that workshop since the last time he had been in it nearly 8 years ago. Genny had a lab but she worked with molecules and had a lot of papers with her, being a biochemist and all, so it wouldn't be smart to have sparks anywhere around there. The other's lived in apartments so he couldn't be able to make noise there, the twin's house was too small for all of his supplies, Dallas' apartment was soundproof but they had to record song takes all day, and Christina was still up in Ireland meaning she was out of the question too.

_'The box would empty except for the memory,'_

His family was always there for him, ever since they all met in high school. He was the youngest of the group, 26, besides his sister who was 13. The others were all 27 save for Christina who graduated while he was in his sophomore year making her 31 now. He's known them all for 12-13 years except for his best friend, Matthew who he's known for 15 years, having met when he was 11 and Matt was 12.

_'Of how they were answered by you.'_

A door slamming out in the hallway broke his musings. Rapid footsteps came after the loud sound and he froze, listening. Two females, one sounded like she was wearing sweatpants and the other's movements sounded like bare skin so she must've been wearing shorts, one male, sweatpants as well, and- That was a wheelchair. Their hushed voices only confirmed who they were.

_'But there never seems to be enough time,'_

The sounds faded and he started breathing normally again, he put his highlighter down on his desk and snapped his notebook shut. He put it off to the side and started shuffling the papers on his desk and put them in a neat pile that he would look at and sort through later. He took off his reading glasses and folded them, placing them atop the paper pile.

_'To do the things you want to do once you find them,'_

He leaned down and opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a black walkie-talkie that had been given to all of them at the start of this along with a two-way earpiece.

_'I've looked around enough to know,'_

As soon as he straightened out and put the walkie-talkie on the surface of his desk, a gruff female voice crackled through the speaker sounding as if she just woke up. He knew she did just wake up four minutes ago, he heard her when she and one other person left their rooms to join a room with two people. _"X-Men, report to the Blackbird Hanger immediately, drop whatever you were doing, and come down now. I will explain when you all get here. Let's go!"_

_'That you're the one I want to go through time with.'_

He grinned and put the device facing down on the surface of his desk, he looked towards his door and spotted his silver jacket hanging on the knob. He nodded to himself in the full-length mirror on his door in the limited light his lamp provided. He moved to lift the needle off of his vinyl before the song could start up again.

The white letters of his digital clock barely changed to '10:50.' Everything moved too slow.


	2. Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank made him feel at home, an odd feeling because Peter's home was with his _family,_ but he knew the feeling well enough to recognize it. It was a warm feeling, Hank made Peter feel warm without him realizing it, not a scorching warmth that was so hot it turned cold and sharp, but a calm warm that you'd feel deep in your chest that made you want to curl around that warmth and never leave it. Hank made him feel protected, and safe, and warm, and gentle, and peaceful, and... and...
> 
> ...Gods he was _so_ in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter there is a brief mention of;  
> Suicide  
> Self-Harm  
> & Sensory Meltdowns
> 
> This took much longer to write than I originally thought it would.
> 
> (7,657 words)

**_ February 13, Sunday, 6:53 AM  
New York, Westchester, X-Mansion, Blackbird Hangar_**

* * *

Peter Maximoff stepped out of the Blackbird, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. The younger X-Men, consisting of Ororo Monroe, Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Warren Worthington lll, and Kurt Wagner, weren't far behind him. It wasn't that he was tired, no he didn't need to sleep as much or as often as the others did, he was just bored. It had taken almost eight hours for the mission to be completed and he was put as a lookout for four of those hours. He didn't even get to show off his moves! He glanced at the younger ones behind him, Kurt was leaning against Ororo, trying to keep his eyes open while Jean and Scott talked in hushed voices yawning every few sentences. Warren looked grumpier than usual as well. _'Not that I'd be able to show off,'_ He thought almost fiercely.

Despite knowing the others for almost five years Peter still didn't trust them enough to tell them about his history or about what type of person he was back before the fire. It wasn't _all_ bad things but his life from seven to eighteen was **definitely** less than pleasant. And the people he knew from seven to ten, well he couldn't say it was _all_ his fault, he was seven! And very easily manipulated by the smallest show of affection! Even if he was a prodigy, he was a tech genius back then, more accustomed to wireworks, machinery, and computers along with math and chemistry. He only became a genius in emotions and body language when he was twelve, which was when he finally told himself that he wasn't just good for manufacturing weapons of war. And hey! He indirectly assisted in his manipulator's death without anyone knowing when he was ten, so that was an achievement that he was proud of.

Peter looked down at his watch, '6:56', and smiled. Hank would still be in his lab. Hank often didn't join the X-Men during missions that took place late at night and carried on for hours, he liked to be in his lab, indirectly helping them by telling them where they needed to go or what to do if the others ever needed help. He only ever went on night missions if the Beast was _absolutely_ needed.

Right now though, Peter just needed to hear Hank talk, as cliche as that sounds.

So Peter ran to the dressing room and changed out of his X-Men uniform and into an outfit for the day, an AC/DC shirt and jeans. He nodded goodbye to Raven as he left the Blackbird Hanger and she nodded back, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop him from going wherever he was going, he hurried to find the scientist. Peter filled a mug with coffee on his way there.

* * *

Peter found Hank still in his lab, unsurprisingly. He was in his human form standing up, hunched over his computer keyboard, and typing things quickly. Peter watched him with a sickeningly affectionate smile before he knocked on the doorway of the lab with his free hand while the door shut behind him, "I've brought coffee for the mad scientist, may I be let in?" Hank jumped slightly and Peter snickered when he turned around, glasses askew. Hank's face seemed to light up at the sight of Peter and he ignored the fluttering feeling in his chest. He fixed his glasses and rushed over to Peter, ushering him towards his computer with a large hand between his shoulder blades. Hank ignored the coffee Peter brought so he just put it a safe distance away from the computer. Hank pulled up a holographic screen and immediately started going into detail about the piece of code he was making before the X-Men were called last night.

It was a well-established secret between Peter and his family that Peter was a genius, the last time he had an IQ test was before high school and back then it was 243. He has no idea how high it is now but he never really cared enough to check again. The X-Men, however, didn't know. Charles did because even though no Telepath can read his mind they can still hear stray thoughts if he's thinking too loud and his mental walls are down, which is very rare in itself. So one day Peter just sucked it up and talked to Charles the same way he would talk to people when he was in high school because during high school is when he didn't hide much besides his mutant status and past. And that was that the two never really sat down and had a conversation about it but Peter definitely stopped pretending to be dumb when alone in a room with Charles.

When Hank found out, it was less of a decision and something that just slipped out. There are short periods where Peter physically can't fall asleep even if he's exhausted. During those periods he usually just stayed in his room to wait until he could fall asleep but because of the back-to-back missions that had been going on that month he had been unable to do that this time. But Peter would be **damned** if he didn't take his daily trip down to Hank's lab just to listen to him rant. That particular day he was down there Hank was talking about upgrading the Blackbird's engines to make them quieter and something was so very _obviously_ off about them that Peter just _had_ to correct him without even noticing what he was saying. Turns out the error he spotted wasn't in plain sight or a simple mistake and was instead something that Hank thought was correct the entire time he was writing up the newer designs. Peter could tell that Hank had a multitude of questions but he seemed to respect that Peter would answer questions when he wanted to.

"Your encryption is off." Peter suddenly spoke, interrupting Hank and he paused and turned to the younger, "What?" "Your encryption," Peter tapped his finger on the screen and the hologram zoomed in on what he was talking about, "Should be harder for people to read without proper authorization, if you leave it like this, anyone could read it. So block out _those_ users and add this to the file after you encrypt it too." Peter laughed as Hank scrambled to find out where his coding mistake was. He cracked his knuckles and glanced around the rest of the lab then started walking to the back of the lab, away from the door and closer to the testing rooms.

Peter sat down on the black beanbag chair he moved into the lab after about his fifth visit to Hank's lab and pulled out his phone. He checked the time and was happy to see that it was 7:02. Peter opened an app on his phone and glanced up at Hank, "I'm ordering breakfast from that place in The Bronx, what do you want?" Hank didn't look up from his computer when he spoke, "I'm good." Peter stared at his back intently until he looked back down at his phone, "Strawberry banana french toast, smoked bacon, and hot chocolate then? Your metabolism isn't as fast as mine and Logan's but it still isn't **average.** " Hank went quiet for a few seconds, "Yes please, thank you." Peter laughed as he ordered the food from his phone. It would be ready in 30 minutes. Good. He put his phone on his thigh and leaned back in the beanbag chair, getting comfortable.

Peter looked up at Hank who was still trying to fix the error Peter had pointed out. As he watched Hank run around in a frenzy there was only one thought going through Peter's mind.

_Gods, I love this fucking idiot._

He often had thoughts like that, about how adorable Hank looks with bedhead or how handsome he is when he's excitedly telling Peter about his latest project, whether or not he thought Peter understood or not. (He always understood what Hank was saying though that was only brought into the light a month ago) It wasn't even that serious of a thing either, he's had these thoughts for _years,_ finally resigning to himself three years ago that, yeah, he loved this giant fucking nerd with all his heart. The scientist _obviously_ didn't know about his feelings because Peter was a notoriously good liar, It's how he survived in the world for so long. And, contrary to popular belief, Peter **could** be perfectly patient for things and people that he cherished.

But this time the thought was... different, louder, more obvious. Peter frowned and sat up in his beanbag chair, it was probably because tomorrow was Valentine's Day, a day _dedicated_ to love. Peter never really celebrated Valentine's Day that often, he sent chocolate and gifts to his friends of course but he didn't celebrate it by himself. Though his Goddess was always happy during Valentine's Day so he entertained the holiday with the rest of the X-Men. The X-Men always decorated the mansion and had a little party in the ballroom that was used for special occasions, the party was really only the X-Men and the professors because there was always alcohol there. 

The only big thing he did on the 14th was going to the big Valentine's Day party. Peter didn't like going to the parties that the X-Men have but he usually supervised and made sure that everyone got back to their rooms safely. Because there was no way in _Pluto_ he was going to touch alcohol.

Peter didn't care about Valentine's Day so why would his feelings be amplified and his thoughts so strong? These thoughts always left him giddy, butterflies in his stomach, and made him feel like he was floating. Hank always made Peter feel safe and Peter never quite understood **why.**

He knew it wasn't Hank's strength because Peter has never been that attracted to strong people, he's always had a sliver of fear around strong people. He knew he could easily take them on in a fight and win but paranoia was still there. It also wasn't his intelligence because Peter's never cared what his partners knew. Don't get him wrong, it's nice to talk to someone that can match him, academic-wise, but Hank is also a huge fucking _idiot_ at times so. And it's not his looks. He doesn't care how the Beast looks, he's never cared about how Hank looked because in Peter's eyes the _Beast_ is still _Hank._ A bigger and stronger version but he's still the same Hank that Peter fell in love with. He's heard how people talk about the Beast, how dangerous and violent he was, they were scared of him in the same way they were scared of Erik. It pissed Peter off because Hank's intimidating but being _intimidating_ is different than being _scary._ Peter wasn't intimidated by Hank's strength or intelligence or looks, Peter was intimidated by his _control,_ how he understood the severity of a situation and acted accordingly in a matter of seconds. Hank wasn't some animal! He was a scientist, he looks at the facts before he makes a decision.

Peter didn't understand why Hank was the one who stole his heart, he just did. What Peter **did** know, however, was that Hank made him feel... soft. If that was even the right word to describe it.

Peter's hands have held burning metal to shape a sword, built nuclear reactor rods with twice as much power as normal ones, built blades with resources that couldn't be found anywhere near Earth. His hands have built cannons and crossbows and swords and deadly things that a child his age should have never had to witness, especially not have to build. But being around Hank made him forget all that. When Hank was showing off his latest invention Peter forgets that he's built weapons for a war that never came but still killed many. When Hank was just in his lab, mixing and experimenting with chemical compounds, Peter forgets about the fact he has no feeling on the right side of his torso. When Hank asks him to test out a piece of equipment Peter forgets about the calluses on his hands that never went away even after seventeen years because, yes, he indeed needed the reminder that he was once a bad guy. Hank made him feel at home, an odd feeling because Peter's home was with his _family,_ but he knew the feeling well enough to recognize it. It was a warm feeling, Hank made Peter feel warm without him realizing it, not a scorching warmth that was so hot it turned cold and sharp, but a calm warm that made you want to curl around that warmth and never leave it. Hank made him feel protected, and safe, and warm, and gentle, and peaceful, and... and...

...Gods he was _so_ in love.

Peter's phone buzzing on his thigh snapped him out of his thoughts and he picked it up. It was a notification that the food he ordered was ready. He stood up from his beanbag chair slowly. Had thirty minutes already passed? Time usually moved _much_ slower for him. "The food's ready, I'm gonna go pick it up." He declared and Hank didn't look up, "Thank you, Peter." He said and Peter left his lab in a hurry without another word.

* * *

_**Peter's POV**_

It took barely a minute to grab the food, pay, and drop it off to Hank. I didn't say anything when I dropped off his food in his lab and instead started making my way up the stairs to my room.

As soon as I closed the door of my room I grabbed my phone from my pocket and went to my contacts. I pressed the name I was looking for and waited as the phone rang.

The phone rang for a few seconds longer until there was a click, "What do you want?" Matt's voice responded after he picked up, "Hello to you too, I need your help with something." I heard him sigh, "Hi Pietro, what do you need my help for?" "Well, Valentine's Day is coming up and I need your help to pick out a special valentine's gift for someone." There was a pause as Matt shifted on his end. "And _why_ are you asking **me** for help? Why not Christina or Dallas or someone who is _actually good_ at romance?" I rolled my eyes, "I'm rolling my eyes at you, Christina doesn't come back from Ireland until April, and Dallas has to finish packing so they can catch their flight to Seattle in Washington State first thing in the morning. **Plus** you have a boyfriend, Matt."

He was silent, "...Pietro, when I first met Foggy I panicked when he called me a 'really good-looking guy' I'm the _least_ qualified person to help you with something that involves romantic feelings." I sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I know, it's just, you and Foggy are the only two that are currently in a relationship, have been for a long time. You're both so in love!" I started pacing around my room, "You both have serious feelings for each other, so I need your help to pick a gift for the person I like." Matt sighed. "Fine, do you have a specific item in mind for this special someone? We'll go from there." I stopped my pacing and pursed my lips, "I was thinking we could go to that place you go to and get some organic chocolate-covered fruit or truffles?" "Pietro, you've never..." Matt breathed out, "...Shit, you're in love."

I groaned and scrubbed my free hand over my face. "I know! I know... I'm handling it the best I can but I can't just suppress these thoughts, it's not healthy. I studied to become a _psychologist_ for fucks sake! I know what's healthy for the mind and the risks of suppressing strong emotional thoughts." Matt was silent for a few seconds so I continued talking. "It's been three years, _three years!_ Since I've established that I'm in love and I've done _nothing_ about these feelings. I-" I cut myself off and my shoulders sagged, "He makes me feel **safe,** Matt. He's not Foggy, who can amplify happiness, or Dallas, who can sing away sorrows, and he's not you, who always seems to know what's wrong with me. But he's **home** and I don't know what to do about it." My voice was tired and I leaned back against my desk. I heard Matt take a breath, "Okay, you don't know what to do, so let's look at the simple things. You know you're in love, yes? Then that's good, you're not trying to deny it as I did with my feelings for Foggy, but you also haven't acted on your feelings either." I grimaced, "It's okay, it's common. It took me until our third year of law school to do anything and even then Foggy was the one to ask me out." 

I gave a small smile, I remembered that day. Foggy called me while Matt was in a different class and he was in a bathroom across campus so he knew Matt wouldn't hear him and asked me if he should just go for it, I told him he should. Not even two hours later Matt called me to tell me that Foggy asked him out on a date, he was freaking out and had no idea what to do. I chuckled, "That was a great day, I didn't have to deal with either of your guy's pining anymore, even if I had to put up with you two being a lovey-dovey couple twenty-four seven." Matt also chuckled, "You **still** do have to put up with the two of us." I sighed exasperatedly, "Unfortunately." We both broke out in chuckles.

We calmed down and Matt spoke first. "I'll help you pick out a gift but you'll have to give me a few extra minutes to get ready. I just got home and already changed out of my church clothes and started the wash but I'll see you in a bit." I nodded, "I just nodded, lemme just put my shoes and some warmer clothes on too then I'll be there in like a few minutes. See you in a bit." I took my phone away from my ear and hung up, I put my phone on my desk on top of a pile of hard-covered books after turning it off. I glanced around my room, pushing off my desk and walking towards my closet when I couldn't find the jacket I wanted to wear. I opened the door and sorted through the different clothes on the hangers because, despite what everyone else may think, my room was organized and tidy. Save for the corner of my room that has my arcade machines and Twinkie boxes, that corner is just organized chaos.

After finding it, I pulled my [light pink bomber jacket](https://www.dhresource.com/0x0/f2/albu/g9/M00/9E/38/rBVaWF4dkS2AHx0DAAUGCKPLWBA551.jpg/2017-mens-bomber-jackets-mens-pink-fur-coat.jpg) from its hanger and threw it on my bed. It was a present from Lorna that still fit me that Matt helped her get for me after I taught her that clothes have no gender and to basically fuck gender roles. She was one of the most understanding people when it came to me donning a skirt and she was 5. Now she's 13 and rocking her flannel shirts and knows how to dress in a suit and tie a tie, thanks to Matt and Foggy because I never bothered learning how to tie and tie. I've always looked too good in dresses and skirts for that shit. I drew a [yellow scarf](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/77/64/55/7764552421e94457a647b01c8b5ecbf4.jpg) from one of the hooks on the wall next to my door and threw it next to my jacket on my bed. Pastel colors were pleasant and they looked good on me, though I only ever wore pastel colors and skirts in private because I don't need to give everyone another reason to make fun of me, they laugh about my hair enough.

I pulled my AC/DC shirt off over my head as I walked towards my dresser, I threw it to the side into the hamper beside my door. Despite the heater in the room, I got goosebumps over my body. I shifted through the middle drawer that held my shirts until I found a grey long-sleeve turtleneck that I pulled on quickly over my head, eager to gain back the warmth I lost in the few seconds it took to find a shirt and ignoring the way my knuckles brushed over old indented scars and the rougher skin on my right side. My blue jeans would stay on, I just needed to find a belt.

I grabbed a belt from one of the top drawers of my dresser and pulled it through the loops of my jeans. I went over to my closet and opened the bottom cabinet where my shoes were, I took a [pair of boots](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c9/14/5e/c9145ed7c15b747691fb3f7941342612.jpg) from the front row and put them down beside my bed. I combed my hand through my hair and looked at myself in my mirror on the back of my door, I sighed. It was a general rule that both the students and the second-generation X-Men had to follow and that rule was to tell an adult if and when you're leaving the mansion. The rule **sucked,** in my opinion, but I still had to follow it no matter how much older I am compared to the others. Well, I had to follow it _this_ time considering I would be away for at least an hour and that's _more_ than enough time for one of the others to find out I'm gone.

So I opened my door and started making my way to the end of the hall to Charles' room. The professors, including Charles, didn't go on missions as often as we did so Charles was most likely awake. And hopefully decent.

I stopped in front of Charles' bedroom door and raised my hand to the large oak door and knocked. There was a hushed conversation on the other side of the door, then " _Come in, Peter,_ " I shook my head playfully and turned the doorknob, I peeked my head into the room and smiled at Charles, who was sitting on one side of a table, a chess set between him and his chess opponent. I nodded to the other man sitting in his chair, grinning.

Fortunately, today 'chess' was **not** used as a euphemism.

"Hey Mags! Professor. Boy, am I glad the two of you are decent." Charles chuckled and turned his wheelchair so his body was facing me, "Good morning Peter, I assume there's a reason as to why you sought me out." I nodded and stepped fully into the room, the door still opened a crack behind me. "Yeah, I don't know where Mystique or the other professors are and I didn't want to disrupt Hank in his lab because he's fixing something also you're the closest to my room so I've come to bother you. Okay, not _bother_ you but I just wanted to tell you I'm gonna be out for a bit." Erik raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "Most students just leave without telling anyone."

I rolled my eyes, "I normally do that, **when** I _know_ I'm not going to get caught but I'm gonna be in Hell's Kitchen for at _least_ an hour, maybe longer if Foggy manages to convince me to stay for lunch, which he probably will, fucking lawyers man, they make good arguments. So I just wanted to check-in and make sure we don't have any training today." Charles shook his head, "After yesterday's mission dragging into this morning I doubt she'll announce anything so unless Raven calls for an emergency training session, the day is free." I grinned, "Okay, thanks. Just so you know I'll only come back early if you guys have an emergency, anything less and I'll be pissed off. Okay?" Charles chuckled and waved his hand in the air, "Call you back only if it's an emergency, got it." I gave them both finger guns with one hand while the other opened the door behind me, _"Oh, and Charles?" "Yes?"_ Charles turned his wheelchair back towards his table as I turned to walk out of the room, my smile unseen with my back towards the two men.

_"Remember if you ever need makeup to hide those hickeys you know I can get you some."_

I closed the door softly behind me and started making my way back to my room.

I went inside my room and quickly pulled on my boots then draped my scarf over my shoulders. I tugged my jacket on over it and grabbed my phone from my desk and put it in one of the back pockets of my jeans. I took my wallet from the top drawer of my bedside table and put it in my jacket pocket. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and grabbed a holographic screen phone and put it in the inside pocket of my jacket. It was barely a few seconds later I was out of the mansion and in Hell's Kitchen. I rushed up the stairs of Matt and Foggy's apartment building and stopped in front of their door on the fifth floor and I ran my fingers through my windswept hair to fix it. I let time slip back to normal.

I pounded on their door, "Open up Murdock!" I shouted and a feeling of panic flared in my mind, an undignified yelp and the sound of something heavy thumping to the floor followed immediately after, " _Ow..._ " I snickered and waited until I heard shuffling from behind the door, " _I know you're giving me a look, believe me, if I had known he was here then I would have warned you._ " The door opened a few seconds later to reveal Matt. He had on a white button-up shirt that had the first two buttons unbuttoned and black jeans. His expression was vulnerable and easy to read without his normal silver-framed glasses on and his unfocused eyes landed near my right ear, he was chuckling silently, "Good morning Pietro." I grinned, "Good morning Matty," I leaned to the side to look behind Matt inside their apartment, "Morning Foggy." Foggy grunted in acknowledgment as he pushed himself up from the rug using the arm of the couch.

Matt stepped aside and I walked into their two-bedroom apartment, "Lorna still asleep?" "Unsurprisingly." Matt shut the front door behind me and he turned as I stopped a few feet into the foyer. "So unfair," Foggy snorted as he leaned against their leather couch. "It is, but she's still young so no job for her yet." I rolled my eyes and Matt passed me to go into his and Foggy's bedroom. "You guys technically don't have a job either, you have an **internship.** " Matt groaned from inside their bedroom, "Don't remind me." I laughed as I shrugged off my jacket and unwrapped my scarf and hung them on one of the hooks next to the door.

Their apartment was homey, with soft orange walls, and hardwood floors. Flower pots with all sorts of flowers were strung up along the foyer hallway and pots with herbs on one wall in the kitchen. The living room had a pale blue rug covering the floor, a dark green leather couch with red pillows, two navy blue armchairs, an oak wood coffee table, and a TV behind it. The kitchen had a light blue oven stove, white countertops, maple cabinets above the stove and counter, an orange refrigerator, and a normal red clock with a braille clock next to it above the stove. A black and white dining table with four white chairs was placed between the two rooms. Their apartment was an assortment of colors, hardly anything in the same room matched but that's perhaps what made the place feel more like home than the mansion did.

I ran my fingers through my hair again and Foggy started walking into their kitchen, "You want some hot chocolate?" I turned to him, "Sure." He nodded and stirred the pot of hot chocolate on the stove. I walked over and sat down on the dark green couch. There was the sound of glass clinking together behind me and Matt walked back out of their bedroom. His white shirt was switched out for a black long-sleeve and he had on black wool socks, he had a pair of black shoes in one hand and a [red peacoat](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f5/52/13/f552132081cb382f0bc244e96d04737a.jpg) in the other. "Sit down Matty, you two are having a hot chocolate before you leave." He smiled softly at Foggy's stern tone but placed his shoes down on the floor and put his coat over one of the blue armchairs. He sat down on the leather couch next to me.

I turned towards him, "So, back to what I was saying earlier about you two having an internship... How **is** the Landman and Zack internship going?" Matt made a face and I laughed, "Bad? Okay, okay, be honest with me, are they all sharks or just assholes? No offense to our own shark, of course." Foggy passed me a cooled-down cup of hot chocolate over the back of the couch, "Both, it's rare for someone who walks through those revolving doors to have even the **slightest** feeling of guilt." I grimaced but took the purple mug from Foggy. "I'm making a face, I sometimes forget how awful it is for the two of you when you're in crowded places." Matt shrugged, uncaring. "Hot chocolate at your 4:30, Matty," Matt reached back and grabbed the red mug from Foggy's hand.

"Thank you, Foggy, and I was trained by someone with the same abilities as me so I have it all almost under wrap, doesn't mean I don't get overloads every once in a while." Foggy leaned over the back of the couch with his green mug, "Dad's a Tactical Empath but he tried his best to teach me and, would you look at that! I'm a **great** Empath! I mean, I might never learn how to _manipulate_ emotions but _amplifying_ emotions is honestly enough for me. And I'll never know how loud people actually are like Matt can but people's emotions can cause one hell of a migraine."

I put my mug down on the coffee table then awkwardly pat Foggy's forearm with my left hand and did the same to Matt's knee with my right hand. "Boy, am I... glad that I'm not one of you guys, hearing and feeling shit nobody else can must fucking **suck.** " Matt chuckled and took a sip of his hot chocolate, "The worst part about my hearing is that Mrs. Gutiérrez plays pop music at 6:30 in the morning on Sunday's," I snickered, "Church doesn't start until, what, 8:00? 9:00?" He nodded, "7:15, actually, don't act as if you've never gone with me to church. I could've been asleep for another twenty minutes before I actually needed to get up." I picked my mug back up from the table. "Haven't you said before that she and her husband live three floors down? On the second floor?" Matt gestured to me with his cup, "Yup."

I snorted and shook my head. "I just shook my head in disbelief, I always forget how fantastic your hearing is." "I know. And you don't get to act as if _your_ abilities don't come without disadvantages. Mine and Foggy's just happen more often." " **And** ours happen around other **people** more often." Foggy chimed, I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to burst your bubble but my mutation is fucking _awesome,_ the last time I had a **real** problem was in my Junior year, a few months after the fire. And that was nearly 11 years ago." Matt put his mug down then settled his hand on my shoulder, "Pietro, I may not have been able to 'see' what was going on but it was still the most horrifying thing I've ever heard." He spoke softly, "You were screaming and crying for **two hours,** It may have only happened three times in the past but your sensory meltdowns are worst than mine. I knew you were alone for the first two but you physically harmed yourself with people still in the room the third time." I scoffed slightly, "C'mon, I wasn't in any **immediate** danger and plus, I only tried to off myself the _first_ time I had a sensory meltdown."

Matt stayed silent. "10. You were 10 when you had your first sensory meltdown and tried to off yourself and I didn't meet you for another year." My eyes softened and I put my left hand over the hand that Matt had on my shoulder, "I may have had my first sensory meltdown when I was 10 but remember that I was 7 when I first tried to off myself." Accidental death, technically, but since my mutation manifesting would have been the cause it was considered attempted suicide.

My soft tone matched his, his unfocused eyes landing somewhere near my right cheek. Matt shook his head and pressed our foreheads together, the couch dipped on the other side of me and arms wrapped around my middle. "That doesn't make it any better." I snorted and placed my mug down on the table again, "It wasn't supposed to, I just wanted to remind you that I was fucked up long before I met any of you." Foggy's chin rested on my opposite shoulder that Matt didn't have his hand on. I leaned back against his chest.

"I'm going to shut down this train of thought before it leaves the station," Foggy's tone was just as soft as ours had been, "And now, I think you need a Nelson Hug." I snorted, "Whatever the doctor prescribes. Hey Murdock, I'm gonna steal your boyfriend for hugs." Matt smiled hesitantly and slowly spread out his arms, I gasped dramatically. "Oh no! The Nelson **and** Murdock hug, I don't think I'll survive this one!" Foggy softly swatted my side, "Hey, this train is shut down, out of order, nobody is allowed on this train of thought." Matt nodded in mock seriousness, "A new train has just entered the station and it's headed straight to positive thinking." I snorted louder as Matt shuffled closer and threw his arms around me and Foggy, his cheek pressed against my silver hair. I was squished between the two of them meaning I wasn't able to hug back so I just relaxed my posture. We stayed like that for about a minute.

The quiet moment was interrupted when heavy footsteps against wood floors filled the silence, I moved my head to look behind Matt as Lorna walked into the room, feet dragging, a pair of basketball shorts, and one of my old Led Zeppelin shirts acting as her pajamas. She paused at the entrance of the room, she yawned and rubbed her eye with her knuckle.

She opened her sleep-filled green eyes. "Fuckin' cuddle pile?" She mumbled, her light Polish accent heavy with sleep, and Matt snorted softly, "Yeah," "Disgusting." But she walked forward, her feet dragging behind her, and moved around the coffee table to wrap her arms around us. "Absolutely revolting." I agreed with a serious nod of my head. Lorna chuckled drowsily and pat my head softly, she let go of us and waddled her way into the kitchen. "There's some hot chocolate on the stove," Foggy called, "Thanks." The sound of the cupboard opening and clinking glasses filled the newly established silence.

I rested my forehead against Matt's shoulder as Lorna entered the living room again this time with a green mug of hot chocolate and looking significantly more awake, "Okay, so **what** are you doing here?" I laughed, "I can't visit you guys just because I can?" She rolled her eyes and took a small sip of her hot chocolate, "No, because you always text us to make sure all of us are awake and I haven't had any new texts from you since yesterday so you're either gonna be here for a longer while than usual or you're taking us for lunch, which I doubt because-" She leaned back into the kitchen to check the clock above the stove that's next to Matt's braille clock. "-It's currently 7:52 meaning we still have about 4 hours and ten minutes until lunch." I smiled into Matt's shoulder.

"That's fair," I leaned back and Matt spoke, "Pietro and I are going to go shopping for a valentine's day present for his special someone." Lorna choked on the sip of hot chocolate she took at that moment and Foggy pulled back slightly. "A special someone?!" "You didn't tell me _that,_ Matty." Matt shrugged but Lorna stepped further into the room. "Wait, hold up, you have a **crush?!** "

Matt nodded and turned his head towards her, "More like he's in love but sure, we'll call it a crush." Foggy tightened his arms around my middle, "You're in love? Holy shit, that's so cute." I groaned and covered my reddening face with my hands, "Who?!" Matt shrugged, "He didn't actually tell me and he hasn't had enough lovers in the past for me to be able to distinguish what his type is, appearance **or** personality-wise." Lorna leaned against the back of the couch.

"It's an X-Men, it **has** to be because you barely talk about anyone else. Process of elimination, Jean Grey?" I shook my head and grudgingly uncovered my face, "No, don't get me wrong, she's _smoking_ hot but redheads aren't my type **and** she has a thing for Jubilee." Lorna nodded, "Okay, good to know, it's not Kurt because you talk about him like he's your actual brother and it's not Warren because you told me how much alcohol he drinks in a week and you fucking **hate** alcohol." She brought her mug up to her lips and took another sip of her hot chocolate, "Hank then? He's a nerd but none of us know your type." My expression didn't change as I shook my head. Foggy let go of me and covered his mouth with his hands, I cursed myself in my mind.

Fucking forgot there was an Empath in the room.

Lorna saw Foggy move and she pointed a finger at me with her free hand, her sudden movement causing her hot chocolate to slosh in her mug but it luckily didn't spill. "Holy shit! You're in love with Dr. McCoy!" "'Doctor'?" Matt raised an eyebrow, "Didn't know you were into that kind of roleplay." My face turned even redder somehow, "No! He's not an actual doctor! Biophysics and genetic scientist! He did papers on the X-gene! I probably know more about first aid than him." Matt chuckled, "I know, I'm just joking with you, can someone remind me what he looks like?" Lorna nodded, "Yeah, Hank McCoy is about 6 feet tall, with yellow eyes and vertical pupils, his entire body is blue, like Mystique's true form, but he has fur, messed up blue hair that looks fun to run your fingers through, and because his human form has a stubble he has a bit of a beard of blue fur. When he's in his human form, he's the same height but he has blue eyes with normal pupils, dark brown hair combed to one side, he also wears glasses with thin black frames. Hank looks like he'd smell like paper and, like, really sharp chemicals, and he looks like the stereotypical nerd that would wear sweater vests." I groaned softly and put my face in my hands.

"He **does** wear sweater vests but **please** shut the fuck up."

Lorna cackled and would've spilled her hot chocolate if Matt didn't catch her mug before any of it got on the floor. Foggy laughed with Lorna but he was much quieter and Matt was shaking his head slightly, chuckling under his breath. When her giggles died down enough she took her hot chocolate back from Matt's hands and took a sip, hiding a grin behind her mug. I felt Foggy's hands on my shoulders, "Alright, that's enough teasing Pietro about his feelings." I groaned a little louder into my hands, "Alright, alright, alright, I'll stop." Lorna grumbled and started walking back to the kitchen, I uncovered my face when Foggy stood up from the couch. "When are the two of you leaving?" Matt put a hand over his heart, "Do you really want to get rid of us that badly, Foggy? No, I think we might leave... now if you want?" Matt tilted his head towards me and I shrugged, face still slightly red. "Yeah, sure, let's go."

Foggy made his way into the kitchen after collecting the mugs of hot chocolate. Matt stood up and grabbed his shoes from the floor and started the process of putting them on. I walked over towards the door and took my scarf off of the hook and draped it over my shoulders. Matt grabbed his coat from where it was draped on the blue arm chair, I pat my jacket pocket to check for my wallet and did the same thing to my back pocket for my phone,

Matt froze suddenly in the process of putting his coat on, "Wait!" He called and hurriedly tugged on the rest of his coat, "What?" Foggy looked at him. " **Dr.** Hank McCoy!" My eye's widened and I started to shake my head, "Matthew, don't you fucking **dare.** " My voice held a warning but Matt didn't seem to care. In the kitchen Lorna and Foggy looked at each other and Lorna raised an eyebrow, Foggy shrugged. "Biophysics and genetic scientist! He did papers on the X-gene!" Matt recounted my words from earlier. His laugh was borderline hysterical and Foggy gave him a concerned look, taking a step closer to his boyfriend. I stared him down, knowing he couldn't _see_ my glare but could definitely _feel_ it.

"You had a crush on **Dr. Henry McCoy** back in **high school!** You told me in your freshman year! You've had a crush on Hank for 12 _years!_ " 

I started stammering, my face was red with embarrassment. "W- Well, I, I- What was I **supposed** to do?! **Not** fall in love with him? He's a mutant like me and the first person I've ever met that can keep up with me academic wise- Wait, no, I don't have to stay here and explain myself to you!" My face was still burning as I opened the door and started walking down the hall to the elevator.

I heard their apartment door open and close again then the sound of rapid footsteps trailing behind me. Matt huffed when he caught up to me, "You're fast even when you're not using your powers." He complained and I rolled my eyes. He reached out and wrapped his hand around my right arm to grip my bicep. Matt had his silver framed and red lensed glasses on and his white cane in his other hand, he wasn't using it yet. We both stepped into the elevator and I pressed the button for the ground floor, the doors closed. "I was sorta hoping you had forgotten that." Matt smiled, "Hank was your very first crush, of course I'm not gonna forget who he was. Though I didn't really remember until you said that he did papers on the X-gene." I groaned softly, "I fucked myself over, didn't I?" The elevator doors opened and we stepped out, "And to think, you were just trying to prove to me that you weren't into that kind of roleplay." Matt teased and I shook my head, but I was smiling.

I opened the front door of the apartment building and we walked out onto the sidewalk. Matt tapped his cane in front of him as we walked, the noise filling the comfortable silence between the two of us.


	3. Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...Does it ever... I don't know, make you _angry_ when they 'dumb things down' for you? I acknowledge that I get mad when they do that to me because I'm blind, not illiterate, but I **know** I'm **much** denser than you."
> 
> "I mean, sometimes? But I didn't correct them the first time so I see no point in correcting them now and, frankly, they wouldn't believe me. Of course, Hank and the Professor don't dumb things down for me anymore, they know I'm much smarter than anyone in the school. Charles knows because, duh, I told him, and Hank only knows because I corrected his designs for the Blackbird's engine's combustion chambers when I was tired, like, a month ago. And I'm not here to rub my intelligence in people's faces, I don't need the world to know I'm smarter than I seem to be. **I** know how intelligent I am and that's enough for me."
> 
> The silence stretched between the two of us with only the sound of our shoes and his cane tapping in front of us on the sidewalk disrupting it while the background noise of the city progressed. 
> 
> "And you only get mad when they do that because you have some serious anger issues, Matt."
> 
> "Fuck **off,** Pietro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much shorter than the previous one but it still took more time than I would've liked.
> 
> (4,559 words)

**_February 13, Sunday, 8:03 AM   
_****_ New York, Hell's Kitchen, West 58th Street_**

* * *

Matt and I didn't try and break the comfortable silence as we walked. I've never liked the silence, in my house growing up it was always the calm before the storm, I never liked what happened after the silence ended. But with my family, the silence was nice because it was always calm and not tense as it normally would be. I've known the others for too long to be tense around them. We walked down the sidewalk for another minute then we stopped at a light. I pressed the button and waited for the light.

"I've never actually been to this store, where is it exactly?"

Matt tilted his head upwards, "Well, the one I'm taking you to is a newer one, I've never been there myself because of how overly expensive the chocolate is but from the way you described your feelings to me on the phone I can guess you want the best for Hank." I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck with my left hand. "I- I mean, yeah, I do. I've never felt like this before for somebody, like, being in love **romantically.** Like- Like I just want to wrap him up in blankets and make sure he's safe, I want to hold him and kiss him and tell him how much I love him. Is that how your feelings for Foggy feel?" We started to walk across the street when the crosswalk light turned white. "Yeah, honestly. Sometimes the urge to coddle him is strong and hard to ignore and sometimes the urge to **be** coddled is hard to ignore." His cane hit the edge of the sidewalk and he stepped up onto it.

"A loving relationship is mutual, an understanding of each other's feelings and needs. Sometimes the two people instantly click and sometimes it takes time to understand the other, but being in love means that you're willing to wait for as long as it takes. Being in love means having fights but always coming back and listening to each other. When I met Foggy we clicked in the terms of friendship but when we started dating we had to make changes. But we waited for the other to be ready to make those changes. Left here." I directed us left. "Foggy's mutation allows him to _feel_ emotions, a power that's useful in both the courtroom and in a relationship. He can understand what emotions his partners are feeling and _why_ they feel this way, Foggy knows when I'm _mad_ and need some _time_ or when I'm _mad_ and want to _cuddle._ I'm... not the _best_ when it comes to emotions, that's always been you and Foggy's forte, but I know when someone's scared or angry. I don't always know _why_ but I can use what's going on around me. I know when someone's heart spikes with panic because their face doesn't heat up the same way it does when their heart spikes with love. Tears of sadness are different than tears of happiness. Foggy can _see_ if people's face matches what they're feeling, I _can't,_ I rely on body movement. I know you rely on body movement as well, but you also pay close attention to a quick hitch of breath, a twitch of the finger or eye, where they look, how they walk and talk and _stand,_ you watch for fake and real emotions because you _can._ You know when someone's angry at you or something else, you know when someone's disappointed or exaggerating, and you know when someone is manipulative or lying to you or themselves because you've learned how to."

I stayed silent and didn't interrupt Matt as he talked, I only continued walking with him still holding my arm and his cane tapping in front of him. "You're used to certain emotions being directed towards other people, not you, such as romantic love. You've seen me and Foggy's love for each other but you've never seen romantic love being directed towards _you_ and you don't know if it's real or fake because you don't know what you're looking _for._ " On my left hand, I pressed the pad of my thumb to the pad of my ring finger. "Y- Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen anything but platonic love directed towards me. Long-term relationships never sat right with me during high school and even after that nobody wanted to date a mutant. And I didn't regard myself as a kid anymore when I turned ten so I never tried looking for parental love after that because I didn't think I _needed_ it. I watched Erik kill the last person I saw as a parental figure and I didn't care." Matt tapped the tip of his cane against my foot and I directed us to take another left. "I know, but romantic love is very different when compared to platonic and parental love. The way you described your feelings for Hank was definitely romantic, you've talked about crushes before but you've never used the words 'safe' or 'home' to describe them." We stopped at another light, I pushed the button again. "So I'm definitely in love then? That's great."

Matt smirked, "Your sarcasm is very loud." I rolled my eyes and stuffed my left hand in the pocket of my jacket. "I hope it was." We started crossing the street. The two of us were silent until we stepped up on the sidewalk. "You see things other people don't, you're mutation gives you the time to just **stop** and look around you. You're loud and weak and arrogant and people underestimate you because of those things, because of the things that aren't **true.** You hide and use your opponent's limited knowledge about you against them, you hide and wait for them to let down their guard. I can't remember if you learned that from me or not." I shrugged my left shoulder, "You definitely fanned the flame but you weren't the one to first teach me." Matt hummed, "I remember now, yeah, he was the first one to teach you. But..." He tilted his head upwards then turned his head to me. "You also hide with the X-Men, you play into their illusion of you. Annoying, weak, the comic relief, _stupid._ I know you have to get tired of everything they say about you, everything they say _to_ you."

I sighed and took my left hand out of my jacket pocket and rub the back of my neck. "I mean, they take my stupidity seriously and under-explain things to me so that I can understand them. It can get irritating at times but at least they don't expect bigger things from me. At least I can't make the same mistakes I made before if they don't know what I can do." We were quiet for about thirty seconds before Matt tugged on my arm and I steered us right. Matt was the first to talk, his voice hesitant but steady.

"...Does it ever... I don't know, make you _angry_ when they 'dumb things down' for you? I acknowledge that I get mad when they do that to me because I'm blind, not illiterate, but I **know** I'm **much** denser than you."

I didn't stop walking but I paused to think about it.

"I mean, sometimes? But I didn't correct them the first time so I see no point in correcting them now and, frankly, they wouldn't believe me. Of course, Hank and the Professor don't dumb things down for me anymore, they know I'm much smarter than anyone in the school. Charles knows because, duh, I told him, and Hank only knows because I corrected his designs for the Blackbird's engine's combustion chambers when I was tired, like, a month ago. And I'm not here to rub my intelligence in people's faces, I don't need the world to know I'm smarter than I seem to be. **I** know how intelligent I am and that's enough for me."

The silence stretched between the two of us with only the sound of our shoes and his cane tapping in front of us on the sidewalk disrupting it while the background noise of the city progressed. 

"And you only get mad when they do that because you have some serious anger issues, Matt."

"Fuck **off,** Pietro."

Matt groaned and I started laughing. The noise bounced off the buildings and echoed in the empty streets, it was too loud of a sound to hear this early in the morning on a Sunday. I pressed my left hand over my mouth and attempted to stifle my laughter. When my laughter subsided I raised my left hand and ran it through my hair.

"Hey, angel?" Matt sighed and leaned his head towards me, "How did our conversation about getting chocolate for the man I'm in love with spiral into this shit?" Matt threw his head back and laughed, it was quieter than my laughter at least. The others have always been quieter than me, even Sean who had a booming laugh and a loud voice. When Matt had calmed down he tugged on my arm. We took a right.

After another few seconds, Matt nudged me lightly. "Have you eaten breakfast today? You don't sound like you have." I shrugged and grimaced, "No, I was _going_ to after this morning's mission ended but I got caught up with Hank because he was showing me this new code he was working on and I ended up only getting him food." Matt tilted his head back after I spoke and seemed to be thinking to himself. "There's this nice little cafe about a block from where we are now and it serves a lot of organic shit that I love so how about we take a little detour and get something to eat? I sure as fuck want a cup of coffee." I pursed my lips in thought, "Sure, we can take a detour. I told Charles not to call me back unless there's an emergency so I have all day." Matt smiled, obviously happy about getting a cup of coffee.

I'll never understand _why_ he likes coffee or _how_ he even drinks plain black coffee.

He gave me directions to the cafe and we walked the block there which only took about a minute. The brick cafe came into view as we turned right. My eyes suddenly widened and I stopped in my tracks.

I tugged on Matt's arm frantically and he stopped walking too, "Matty," I whispered urgently, "Matt, I can't be seen with you." Matt raised his eyebrow teasingly with a smile, "What? Are you that ashamed of me?" I shook my head, "This isn't something to joke about Matt, I'm being serious. You know what'll happen if even **one** of the X-Men's enemies find out I have close friends **outside** of the mansion who are not publicly known as mutants." Matt's smile faded and he sighed, understanding what I was saying. I couldn't protect them all the time and they couldn't use their abilities in public because they want to stay hidden. I bit my lip and pat Matt's hand on my bicep.

"Give me a second," Matt let go of my arm as I stepped into the alleyway that we stopped next to. He stood at the entrance of the alley and I pulled out the holographic screen phone. I tapped it twice to turn it on then started tapping different combinations to see how they looked.

It was an appearance changer, one of the three prototypes that Hank made, Warren and Kurt were the other two that had them. Hank just wanted to test these out first to see how much of a mutant's appearance it would change, hence why Kurt and Warren had one. Matt had a confused smile on his face and his eyebrows were furrowed, "What...?" He questioned and I answered without looking away from the screen. "It's an appearance changer." He hummed in understanding then tilted his head to the side, "One of yours?" I finally looked up, "Oh no, Hank's changers are a screen and a prototype, mine are add-ons and finished models. Finished models that are currently **not** in **my** possession." I tapped one more thing before I stepped out of the alleyway. "Done?" I nodded, "What did you change?" I turned the screen off and put it back in the inside pocket of my jacket.

I moved back to the left side of Matt and he grabbed my arm, "Same clothes, same skin color though I have freckles now. Um, ice-blue eyes and, well, I liked the thought of white hair." Matt chuckled, "You have white hair now?" "Yup, pure white hair." He shook his head as I lead us towards the cafe Matt was talking about. I opened the door for him the stepped in. 

The cafe was small and homey, the scent of coffee beans and vanilla was faint which must've been the reason Matt liked the place, even if the scent was stronger to him. The cafe was almost empty with a few teens sat at tables near the back. Matt tucked his cane close to his side and I lead him to the counter where a blonde-haired girl was working, she looked up when we stopped in front of the cash register. She smiled when she saw Matt and her brown eyes widened when she saw me, she looked me up and down. 

"Good morning Mr. Murdock! Who's _this_ hottie you're hanging off of?" The girl giggled, playing with a stray piece of her blonde hair. and I smiled at her politely. I didn't know I'd be feeling uncomfortable _this_ early in the morning. Matt squeezed my bicep in apology but I spoke before he could. "My name is Jasper Wilczek, dear." My Polish accent was the same it always has been which Dallas and Matt both described as 'thick' and 'pleasant to listen to'. And who am I to doubt a man that can hear **heartbeats** and a singer whose mutation **is** their voice? My American accent was perfect but tougher to maintain at times so it was nice to just speak again in the accent I was born with.

The girl blushed and giggled again, it was a tad infuriating. "So, _Jasper,_ what would you like?" I mentally shuddered at the way she said my name but outwardly I only gave a teasing smile, I leaned forward slightly to read her name tag. "Moving a bit fast are you, Hannah? It's my first time, let me look at the menu first. Ask Matt what he wants while I decide." I already read the menu and knew what I wanted, I just didn't want to order first.

Hannah bit her lip but she turned towards Matt, "Would you like your regular Mr. Murdock?" Matt tilted his head towards her and smiled, "Yes please." "One medium black coffee coming right up." I chuckled and shook my head. I hummed quietly, "I believe I'm ready now." Hannah was quick to look back at me. "Would you like coffee too?"

I pulled a small face, "Ah, not for me, dear, I like the taste of tea more. And caffeine messes with my mutation after all."

I could see the **exact** moment when Hannah processed what I said and what it meant. I almost laughed out loud but I managed to keep a straight face and I knew if Matt could see her expression he _wouldn't_ be able to keep a straight face. And I wasn't lying, caffeine messes up my powers and I get caffeine crashes faster, even after one cup. Hannah stuttered and looked down, refusing to make eye contact with me, "So what would you like?" Her voice was colder and I gave a small sad smile.

Raven helped pave the way for mutants but not everybody wanted to take that trail. Having the X-Men around certainly helped but there was only so much we could do. We were just a team after all, not an army.

But my hair is pure white and my eyes are so light they almost _look_ white, I'm not sure _why_ she thought I was human.

"Two grapefruit poppyseed muffins, if you would dear."

Hannah nodded without looking up and I pulled my wallet out from my jacket and gave her the money. Matt and I went to sit at a table near the front door while we waited. When our order was ready and I got up to get it I couldn't help but note that Hannah wasn't there anymore, she must've gone to the back. I took Matt's coffee back to his and I put my two muffins on the table in front of me, starting to unwrap and eat the first one. It wouldn't be enough to satisfy my metabolism but it would help for the time being.

After Matt finished his coffee and I ate my muffins we threw away our trash and made our way back outside. It wasn't too far from the cafe but like I told Matt earlier I had all day. I let Matt lead me towards the shop that had the organic chocolate. I opened the door for him and we both stepped inside, the scent of rich chocolate filling our senses.

* * *

It didn't take us long to find a chocolate that I knew Hank would like. It was a dark chocolate bar with strawberry filling. The man working behind the counter had wrapped the bar in red wrapping paper with pink hearts on it. It was now in a small gold bag that I held in my right hand.

We were walking back towards Matt and Foggy's apartment when I stopped suddenly in front of a store window, Matt stopped next to me when I didn't move.

"What's happening?" I continued staring, "Okay so- we've stopped in front of a store window, and inside are three mannequins, okay? The left mannequin has a [powder blue cape coat](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7c/d8/fe/7cd8fe105c1ec779934f937846f126de.jpg) on it that reaches just below the waist, it looks more cutesy than business-like so I'm gonna guess it's lolita style. It has a hood and two large poof ball buttons, white fur covering the hem of the sleeves, and white lace and more poof balls on the hem of the coat. The right mannequin has a [light pink dress](https://img.promgirl.com/_img/PGPRODUCTS/2262185/500/blush-dress-DJ-A7987-e.jpg) but like a shade lighter than pig pink, with no sleeves and spaghetti straps, a slit down the left leg, and it reaches the floor. Now the middle mannequin is the real kicker, it's-" "I'm guessing the middle mannequin is the reason we stopped?" Matt interrupted and I grinned, "Yeah, how'd you know? Anyway, the middle dress is a [scarlet red](https://dtkp6g0samjql.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/file/14990366/gallery_hero_241d3df9-a82c-4797-a5e0-77a8c76bf970.jpg), velvet material, off the shoulder, knee-length dress and it has a small thin red bow around the waist, it's so simple compared to the other two and I love it." Matt tilted his head towards the store window. "Would you like to step into the shop?" I snickered, "Fuck yeah I would!"

I dragged Matt into the store and looked around as the door closed behind us. There were only a few people in the shop and one girl behind the counter. I pulled Matt towards a display that had the same dress that was in the window. I looked over the dresses in awe. "Do you know your size?" I snorted and rolled my eyes, "Don't act as if I've never worn dresses before, of course I know my fucking size." Matt chuckled and shook his head. He let go of my arm for a bit while I checked to find a dress I knew would fit me. I looked one over and nodded, finding one that would fit, I let Matt grab my right arm again and we walked towards the cash register. I stopped and pulled Matt towards another display and grabbed a [heart-shaped bag](https://images.nyandcompany.com/is/image/NewYorkCompany/productdetaildefault/Red-Quilted-Heart-Crossbody-Bag_09663270_224.jpg) from it. "Okay, _now_ I'm ready." Matt smiled and let me pull him along.

The girl looked up and smiled when she saw us. I smiled back and put the two items on the counter for her to scan. "Will this be all?" She questioned and I nodded, "Yes, dear." She bobbed her head and grabbed the heart bag first. "I love your accent, where are you from?" I exhaled softly, "I'm from Poland dear, raised there until I was five." She chuckled, "I haven't met many people from Poland that now live in America that still have their accent so you're a pleasant surprise." I shrugged, I spoke with my accent often enough to still retain it. I raised Lorna with my accent, it's the only reason she has a slight Polish accent despite being American. "Some Poles do still have an accent, a slight twang in their words even if they have an American accent. It's not always noticeable, even by other Poles, but if you know what you're listening for then it's quite easy to hear it." She glanced up at my face then back down, setting the heart bag down and grabbing the scarlet dress.

"Can you say something in Polish or is that rude to ask?" I chuckled and waved my left hand, "Ah, it's not rude, dear." I cleared my throat, **"Nazywam się Jasper Wilczek."** She shimmied her shoulders, "Ooh, that's nice. I knew someone back in college that was studying Polish and his words were _never_ as nice as yours." I grinned, "Polish **is** my first language so it'd make sense that someone _learning_ the language wouldn't be as good as the one who has _always_ spoken the language. I didn't learn English until I was around seven."

I had forgotten Matt was there until he squeezed my bicep and I jumped slightly. "Oh, forgive me, angel, you know once you get me going it's hard to get me to stop." Matt rolled his eyes, "It's fine, we have time, I just don't think I can stand up for too much longer because church took up my energy." I chuckled and the girl set the dress down, "That'll be $24.30. Would you like a bag?" "I _would_ like a bag." I took out my wallet and handed her two twenty-dollar bills. "Keep the change, dear, you've been a delight." She chuckled and bagged my two items. I pocketed my wallet and grabbed the bag in my right hand as my left still held the gold bag of chocolate.

I gave a slight wave goodbye to the girl as the shop door closed behind us. The streets of Hell's Kitchen were busy again, people walking up and down the sidewalks and the occasional car passing by. If people had never been to Hell's Kitchen or never heard of it they wouldn't think the place was dangerous, they might've even called it peaceful. 

We made it back to Matt and Foggy's apartment building in under twenty minutes and it was now '9:16' according to my phone. I opened the door for Matt and we walked towards the elevator I pushed the button for the fifth floor with the knuckle on my right hand and waited until the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Matt and I walked down the hall to their apartment door. Matt took a breath and smiled, I raised an eyebrow and turned to him slightly, "Foggy's making chocolate scones." I smiled too, "Lorna probably asked him to," "Probably." Matt let go of my arm and passing his cane to his left hand. He took out his keys and inserted them into the lock, he pushed the door open, "We're back!" He called into the apartment and we both stepped inside. "Welcome back!" Foggy answered from the kitchen. Matt started taking off his coat and I unwrapped my scarf from around my neck letting it just rest across my shoulders. Matt propped his cane up against the wall next to the door. "In the kitchen!" I took out Hank's changer from my jacket and tapped on a few things, turning it off and getting rid of the features I had on. I'll have to tell Hank later that his thing works.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Foggy pushing a tray into the oven, he started the oven and Matt came up behind him. Foggy turned his face towards him slightly and Matt kissed him on the cheek, Foggy did the same to Matt, "Lorna wanted chocolate scones." "We could tell." Matt took a step back. "What kind of present did you get for Hank?" Foggy turned around completely, "Dark chocolate with strawberry filling, Hank loves strawberries." He nodded then jerked his head towards the bag in my right hand, "Then what's in that bag?"

I grabbed the dress and heart bag from the bag and held it up so Foggy could see it. He whistled lowly, "Those are beautiful." He complimented and I grinned, "They are," I agreed and put the items back into the bag and picked the bag up. "But you don't wear dresses as often as you did before becoming an X-Men so what are you gonna do with that one?" Foggy brought up a good point, all of the current dresses I own haven't been worn in years though I knew they still probably fit me. I didn't grow that much in the years of being an X-Men and, funnily enough, I don't have a lot of visible muscles, I never have even when Matt was teaching me how to box.

I suddenly grinned mischievously. "Nobody's heard from Penelope Rodgers in a while, huh?" Matt and Foggy's faces slowly broke out in smiles and the two chuckled. "No, we haven't," Matt said, "Maybe you should call her," Foggy added. "Maybe I will." I laughed and shifted my two bags into my left hand, using my right to open their apartment door. "Wait," Matt spoke and I paused to look back at him.

"Don't get the dress **dirty** on the first day you wear it."

"Hey, Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the fuck up."

Matt's laughter was all I heard before I slipped into speed mode and ran back to the mansion with plans in mind.


	4. All that you are is all that I'll ever need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I looked back at my mirror. Something's missing. It felt almost wrong. I pursed my lips but walked towards my closet to shuffle through clothes aimlessly. My hand met something leathery and I pulled it off its hanger. It was a white leather jacket. I grinned and slipped into the jacket then walked back to my mirror. I grabbed a pink lip gloss tube from one of the smaller boxes on my dresser and applied a thin coat, making sure to go under my piercings, I put the lip gloss in my heart bag along with a flower-shaped mirror and my phone. I chuckled lightly and smoothed out my dress.
> 
> "Welcome back, Miss Rodgers."
> 
> Penelope's voice was always childish sounding but I'm older now so her voice had grown slightly deeper but it still held its sweet tones. I had tried multiple accents out in the past with Matt as my judge and he said the British accent always brought out the charm and sophistication in Penelope so it stuck. I walked forward and opened my door wide enough to stick my head out and look around. Nobody in the hall. I stepped out of my room and softly closed my door behind me. I took a deep breath and putting a charming smile on my face, straightening out. _Penelope Elliot Rodgers, enter stage right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I make my chapters so long? Like, I don't have to do this to myself. Yet I do it anyway.
> 
> There is a mention of the mutant Azazel and Sean Cassidy in this chapter so let's clear that one up.  
> Azazel, Janos, Sean, and Angel are alive, they were still taken by Trask but their autopsy reports were instead written about their physical clones that Peter made. They all live together and are comfortable around each other despite being on opposite sides in the past.
> 
> Also, Peter constantly refers to himself in the third person throughout the chapter so that's there. 
> 
> (9,786 words)

**_ February 14, Monday, 6:17 AM _  
** **_ New York, Westchester, X-Mansion, Peter Maximoff's room_ **

* * *

I looked at myself in the mirror on the back of my door, fiddled with my hair. It was almost... _weird_ to see it a different color after so long of it just being silver. But it was a good weird. I pursed my lips, "Gods I look good," I muttered, "I mean, I _always_ look good but now I... Brown hair is just _so_ much better than silver."

I already grabbed breakfast this morning, a quick helping of toast and fruit, not the best because of my metabolism but I was in a bit of a rush, I have specific plans this morning. I'll just have to work with it. Also, I won't be using my mutation at all (hopefully) so I won't be burning through as many calories as opposed to any other day. I grabbed my new dress from the knob of my closet and set it down on my made bed alongside my heart bag, I opened my closet and shuffled through the bottom till I found the right shoes, black heeled boots. I grabbed a pair of black socks from one of my bottom drawers and put both my boots and socks on the bed next to my dress. I took a step back and nodded, everything's in place, I glanced at the top of my dresser, small wooden boxes scattered on the surface with either Mercury's symbol or Venus's on the top.  
Well, **almost** everything.

I opened one of the boxes that had Venus's symbol on it and grabbed a handful of rose quartz stones, I opened another and plucked five swan feathers from it, I also grabbed five red roses that I stole from downstairs this morning. I made my way to my bathroom.

Every one of the X-Men's rooms had their own bathroom though only four of them had bathtubs **and** a shower, Kitty's, Rogue's, Jean's, and mine. Charles' room only had a bathtub for a reason. There was, of course, a specific purpose as to **why** I called the room with the bathtub, I opened my bathroom door and my fluffy rug gave way to cold tiles under my bare feet.

All of the bathrooms were all a simple square shape. _My_ walls were light yellow, matching the pale pink walls of my bedroom, and the vinyl tiles were grey. All four of the bathrooms had corner tubs, well, I **assume** all of them do but I don't think Charles' was a corner tub. Next to the bathtub was a square shower that I managed to get sage green curtains for. On the other side of the tub was the bathroom counter, with an apple tree wood tray of skincare products, incense, and essential oils next to the ceramic sink. The toilet was in the very far corner of the bathroom. Venus's altar was right between the bathtub and my shower, a metal copper tray with a green cloth that has the pentacle stitched into it. Her altar had pink, white, and red candles, rose quartz, green aventurine, and moonstone crystals. Pearl necklaces wrapped around a statue of Venus, an incense burner, a small gold-trimmed mirror. a silver chalice, and a pink offering bowl with Venus's symbol carved into it right in the middle of everything. Venus's altar was decorated more than Mercury's which he gets mad about sometimes.

Additionally on the counter next to the wooden tray was a box of sage sticks and matches. I also kept a bottle of wine under the sink for Venus and a dozen German beers for Mercury in the mini-fridge I brought from my old room at the house I lived in before the mansion. They were the only reason I'd _ever_ be caught with alcohol. I started honoring Venus longer than I have Mercury which was kind of ironic to be perfectly honest. Mercury **is** the scientific term for quicksilver.

I chuckled softly to myself as I put the items in my hand on the bathroom counter and started drawing myself a bath. The sound of water filling the tub started as I took two matches from my box, I struck the first match and used it to light all of the candles on Venus's altar then blew it out when the fire almost burned me. I grabbed an incense stick from the wooden tray and put it in the incense burner and lit it using the second match, the scent of vanilla filled the bathroom gradually. I threw the burned matches away and grabbed a pink bottle from under the sink and drizzled some of its contents into the water, the tub started filling with pink bubbles. I grabbed the rose quartz stones and put them into the offering bowl, placing the five swan feathers on top of them and each of the roses on each point of the pentacle. Reaching back under the sink I grabbed the bottle of wine and filled the silver chalice with the dark red liquid then put it back under the sink. I turned the faucet off when the tub was full.

I took a step back to just stare for a few seconds, I smiled and turned so I was facing the bathroom door, my back to the mirror. I pulled my shirt off over my head and threw it on the floor, my boxers following after because why the _fuck_ would you wear _pants_ to bed.

I kept my gaze carefully away from the mirror as I turned and submerged myself into the water, bubbles clinging to my pale skin. The water was hot but pleasantly so and not scalding and I relaxed further into the water, letting the back of my head relax against the edge of the tub. I sighed softly and my eyes slipped close, today would be different than the other days, special, I can _feel_ the positivity in the air. "Genial Venus, generous and kind," I murmured the start of the prayer, "Who gives laws to heaven, earth, and sea. Who captures every creature with your charm. Who liberates men from savagery, and breeds elegance, peace, and beauty. Goddess of love, most bountiful, delight of men and Gods. I pray that you bless this household and that this offering finds favor with you." I took a few deep breaths and let myself relax fully. It was still early, none of the others were probably even up yet so the mansion was quiet, the occasional chirping of a bird the only sound that disrupted the silence.

I started honoring the two deities around ten years ago, about six years before Apocalypse. Well, I started honoring **Venus** around ten years ago, I started with Mercury around nine years ago. I don't do magic like a lot of other pagans, occasionally I'll ask one of them to bless an item or if they could provide protection before a bigger mission but mostly I just gave them things and did little rituals for them. I had no use for spells and charms when the Gods had already given me a gift. I was a man of science and evolution but I was still very much a religious person.

When I got out of the bathtub and started draining the water I didn't know how much time had passed. I often lost myself in the mornings when the day was quiet and there was nobody to bother me because they were all off doing their own thing. I like it when I lose myself because then I didn't have to think about anything and the quiet was comfortable, not filled with phantom yelling and shattering glasses. I put out Venus' candles but let the incense burn. I grabbed a fluffy white towel from under the sink and wrapped it around myself. I walked out of my bathroom, drying myself the entire way. After I had dried off my entire body I grabbed a pair of plain dark grey boxers and put them on after I threw my white towel into my hamper. I grabbed the dress from my bed.

I slipped my new dress on and pulled my black heeled boots on after I put on some black pants and white socks. I hopped on one foot as I yanked the right heel on then the left, the heels of my boots weren't that tall but they gave me an extra two and a half inches. I reached over and grabbed a light pink hair tie and pulled my dyed hair into a small ponytail. I looked at myself in the mirror on my door and frowned slightly, it's kinda easy to forget that my hair was longer in high school. Turning to my dresser and sorting through my jewelry box I ignored the thoughts in my head. When you've been shutting down self-deprecating thoughts for years you start to grow immune to them, which doesn't mean they don't pop in and hurt every now and again.

I pulled a pair of earrings and two rings from the mahogany box. The earrings had red roses and envelopes attached. Both of the rings were made of silver though one had a red rectangle gem while the other had a pink heart. I put the earrings in my ears and slipped the red ring on the ring finger on my left hand and the pink ring on the pointer finger of my left hand. I pursed my lips but gave in to the temptation and grabbed two black horseshoe barbells and put them into either side of my bottom lip so that the black rings were on the outside of my lip, it's been _too_ long since I've worn one of my piercings. I grabbed my heart bag from my bed and pulled it on over my head, letting the heart-shaped pouch rest on my hip, dragging a painted fingernail over the leather.

I looked back at my mirror. Something's missing. It felt almost wrong. I pursed my lips but walked towards my closet to shuffle through clothes aimlessly. My hand met something leathery and I pulled it off its hanger. It was a white leather jacket. I grinned and slipped into the jacket then walked back to my mirror. I grabbed a pink lip gloss tube from one of the smaller boxes on my dresser and applied a thin coat, making sure to go under my piercings, I put the lip gloss in my heart bag along with a flower-shaped mirror and my phone. I chuckled lightly and smoothed out my dress.

"Welcome back, Miss Rodgers."

Penelope's voice was always childish sounding but I'm older now so her voice had grown slightly deeper but it still held its sweet tones. I had tried multiple accents out in the past with Matt as my judge and he said the British accent always brought out the charm and sophistication in Penelope so it stuck. I walked forward and opened my door wide enough to stick my head out and look around. Nobody in the hall. I stepped out of my room and softly closed my door behind me. I took a deep breath and putting a charming smile on my face, straightening out. _Penelope Elliot Rodgers, enter stage right._

My heels made a sharp 'click-click' against the polished wooden floor as I walked down the silent hall, the sound echoing around me. The first period classes will start in about 25 minutes, which is _more_ than enough time for me to get down to the kitchen because I'm not running in heels and a dress. I can run in heels at normal speed but not when I'm moving at supernatural speeds. Plus, I'll probably twist my ankle trying and I'm **not** incapacitating myself again. And _Penelope_ doesn't have super speed, _Penelope's_ mutation is 'Supernatural Intelligence', a mutation that makes her **immensely** more intelligent than any other mutant and human. To have 'supernatural' intelligence, the user has to have an IQ of 202 or above. Which both Penelope and Pietro _greatly_ surpassed though only Penelope was able to freely admit it out loud. There would no doubt be people in the kitchen which would give them the perfect opportunity to get to know Penelope.

I reached the edge of the stairs and just stood there for a few seconds. My finger's rapidly tapped against my thigh, I grabbed the compact mirror from my bag and used it to fix my hair nervously. "C'mon Pietro, you can do this," I muttered to myself in my normal voice, "You've fooled people into thinking you have an IQ lower than 70 for nearly five years, you can fool them into thinking you're a girl for a single day." I snapped the mirror shut and stuffed it back into my heart bag. I took another deep breath and smoothed out my expression and visibly forced the tension out of my shoulders. I started descending the stairs slowly in a smooth manner, not floundering or stumbling once.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and took notice of the few kids in the foyer that was decorated for Valentine's Day with pink and red streamers, confetti covering the floor, and lots of roses around the room. The kids were all at least younger than high schoolers. I barely gave them a glance, I had a mission, but I could feel their eyes on me as I turned and walked towards the kitchen. Making sure to keep my steps leisurely, and my posture poised the entire time. Penelope was graceful and mature, she didn't hesitate when people were watching her every move and she was confident in her skin, Penelope wasn't a loser.

I turned the corner but I kept my steps deliberately and my posture the same even when they couldn't see me anymore, Penelope was a constant. Neither she nor Pietro half-assed things so when Penelope was there she was there for as long as she wanted to be. She had a background and a family, the youngest daughter of Benjamin Silvestre Rodgers and Josaphine Cartier Rodgers, the younger half-sister of Dallas Edison Rodgers, younger half-cousin of Sean Liam Cassidy. Penelope had a purpose in life, one I never had the chance to fulfill myself. I could hear the excited chatter from the kitchen and I smiled brightly, shaking my head adoringly I looked off to the side and marveled at the decorations in the hall since I didn't get the chance to just stop and... _stare_ this morning when I grabbed breakfast.

Sooner than I would have liked I got closer to the end of the hall and was eyeing the archway into the kitchen.

I ran my tongue over the barbells of my snake bites and gripped the strap of my bag nervously as I got closer to the kitchen but took a deep breath and let my hands fall to my sides. I squared my shoulders and didn't let my expression change as I walked through the doorway, I heard multiple conversations stop abruptly and I felt immediate satisfaction and accomplishment in my mind. I kept my pace as I walked towards the refrigerator where Kurt and Warren were deep in conversation.

Kurt wore his heart on his sleeve meaning it was easy for _anyone_ to see that he liked Warren, like, a _lot._ Warren just never seemed to see the heart eyes Kurt gave him though, to be honest, Kurt's nice to **everyone** so it's kinda hard to tell when he's being **extra** nice. And it's hard to tell when Warren liked someone because he crudely flirted with literally everyone and primarily with girls, I know he only does this because he thinks Kurt's straight. You never really know with Christian people. Warren may be a very aggressive drunk but he's also _very_ talkative once you manage to get him going.

I stopped next to Kurt and softly cleared my throat, "Excuse me." Their conversation paused and Kurt turned towards me, "Huh?" "I'd like to get to the refrigerator behind you." He jumped and blushed purple, moving towards Warren and out of my way. "A-Ah! Zorry!" I smiled warmly at him, "It's quite alright, hun." I moved forward and opened the refrigerator door and pulled a Pepsi bottle from inside.

Closing the door I was met with Warren right next to me leaning against the kitchen counter where Kurt was a few seconds ago, he motioned to the glass bottle in my hand, "May I?" I raised an eyebrow but I knew the answer he was looking for so I brought my bottle up and watched him use the thumb of his right-wing as a bottle opener and popped the metal cap off. He caught it before it fell and he presented it to me with a wink, "Here you go little lady." I giggled and took the bottle cap from his outstretched palm, "He's a gentleman, but I'm only physically smaller than you, I have a good two years on you sweetie." Warren laughed heartily and I took a sip of my drink, leaning my back against the cold metal surface of the refrigerator, my silver rings clinking against the glass bottle. He smoothed out his blonde hair then held out his hand, his blue eyes flickering from my bottom lip to my face. There weren't many people in the mansion with piercings. "Warren Worthington, you got a name, or can I just call you 'mine'?" My laugh was one of surprise and I was thankful I didn't take a sip of soda.

"That was just bloody **terrible!** My name is Penelope Rodgers, please call me Penelope." I switched the bottle cap to the hand holding my soda and shook his hand, "'Penelope Rodgers'? Can I call you Penny?"

I grinned and let go of his hand, a common nickname. "As long as you recognize that I'm worth _way_ more than that." It was easy to fall into step with Warren though it was somehow easier as Penelope, maybe because it was a fresh start. Warren laughed again and with my hand now free I rolled the bottle cap between my fingers. I glanced at the clock and straightened up when I saw the time. 7:42. I took a large gulp of Pepsi then put my hand on Warren's uncovered upper arm because he was wearing a white tank-top and he quieted, "As lovely as it was to meet you Warren, I must get a wiggle on, Professor Xavier and I have a few things that need to be discussed." He nodded, "Okay, sure, see you at the dance tonight?" I grinned mischievously and dropped my hand, "If you think you can keep up with my dance moves." He smirked, "Oh I think I can keep up but the question is if you think _you_ can keep up with _my_ moves." I snickered and turned to walk out the opposite door that I walked in, "I _know_ I can sweetie, you better know how to waltz." "I'll learn!" He called as I walked out of the kitchen and I laughed, walking down the hall toward's Charles's office. " _She's so hot._ " I heard faintly and I snorted softly, pocketing the metal bottle cap in my jacket.

I stood in front of Charles's office and raised my free hand to knock, _"You can come in Peter."_ I rolled my eyes but opened the door. My mind is probably the most difficult to identify because Charles and Jean can't just take a peek into my mental walls unless they're prepared for the four-hour headache that comes after trying to read the shitshow that is my mind. I'm also _very_ good at shutting Telepaths out of my mind.

Charles sat behind his desk with his head down, reading some papers that were spread out on the surface of the table, the door closed softly behind me. "Good morning, Professor Xavier." Penelope's calm and smooth British voice rang out in the room. He froze then slowly looked up, his eyes growing wider by the second. He reached my eyes and leaned back in his wheelchair. "My, you're dressed smartly, Peter!" I chuckled and responded in my normal voice, "I know, I bought the dress and bag yesterday when I went out to Hell's Kitchen. I believe I bought the jacket before Apocalypse and I'm surprised the heels still fit because I've had them since I was, what? 17? 18 years old?" I grabbed my dress with my free hand and swished it from side to side. "And please, Professor, my name is Penelope Rodgers, do try to remember to call me as such." Charles laughed and I walked further into his office. "Of course, my sincere apology, Penelope. I see you've already made your way through the kitchen." He gestured to the glass bottle of Pepsi in my hand. I tipped the mostly full bottle towards him.

"Yeah and Warren flirted with me. His flirting fucking **sucks** by the way." Charles chuckled and started rearranging the papers on his desk, "I suspect you have a bigger reason for visiting me?" I took a sip of soda and nodded my head. "Yes, actually, Penelope isn't a _real_ student, **I'm** not even a _student._ I know the other professors will get suspicious if they see a person they've never heard about or seen so I was wondering if you could tell-" I tapped two fingers to my temple "-the other professors not to attack, you can tell them it's Peter Maximoff if you want but please ask them to call me Penelope Rodgers." Charles nodded and moved to put his own two fingers to his temple, he paused. "Should I assume that Miss Rodgers has a mutation?" "Yup, 'Supernatural Intelligence'" He grinned and put his fingers to his temple. He lowered his hand about a minute later. "I told Logan and Erik that it's you but the others don't know so they won't question her mutation though Raven _will_ try to actively search you out during her break so be prepared."

I beamed, "Thanks and I will!" Charles shook his head and tilted his head downwards to continue reading his paper. I turned around and took a sip of soda, "Hey don't classes start in twelve minutes?" Charles looked up at the clock, "Ah, so they do," He started stacking his scattered papers and putting them off to the side, "Since you're still here I was wondering if you'd like to walk with me to my classroom? Perhaps I could use this time to get to know Penelope?" I turned back around and nodded, "Yeah sure." I knocked back the rest of my soda and welcomed the fizzy sting it left in my throat.

I threw the empty bottle in the trash next to Charles's desk and I went to stand next to his wheelchair as he grabbed a folder and a hard copy book from one of his drawers, I raised an eyebrow. "'Jonathan Livingston Seagull'? What are you having the students do with that book?" Charles put the folder and book in his lap. "The end goal is for the students to be able to write an essay about what worthwhile and unforgettable things they'd like to do in the future." I murmured softly, "That sounds fun." We made our way to the door and I moved in front of him to open it, he went through. I closed the door behind me and resumed my spot beside him.

We were silent for a few seconds as I walked beside his wheelchair until Charles whispered to me, "When did Penelope first..." "Come to be?" He nodded and I hummed quietly, "Well, the **idea** of Penelope first came to me when I was maybe 13, it was the first time I ever put on a skirt and I looked in a mirror. I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, 'I'd make a cute girl' because when I was younger I let my hair grow out, it was already silver so what more harm could it do if it was long? I don't let my hair grow out anymore for the same reason I don't wear skirts inside the mansion outside of my room. Fear and the teasing that would inevitably happen." I sighed, "But when I first **became** Penelope it was a few weeks before my freshmen year, I found out that permanent hair dye had a better effect on me than normal hair dye, it still fades yeah but it takes at least a few days. So I bought, and let me stress the word, **_bought_** a yellow sundress from a thrift shop and dyed my hair brown and I didn't tell my best friend. So he came to my house one night so I could help him with his laptop keys and there I was, in my mother's basement wearing the cutest dress I've ever seen and hair freshly dyed. And he stopped halfway down the stairs and asked me why it smelled like hair dye because, of course, I forgot to open a window, and I panicked because I didn't know how to answer that." We turned a corner, "I told him that I dyed my hair and he laughed and said 'I know, the place wouldn't smell like hair dye if you didn't' I relaxed so fast because this was my best friend and he'd never say anything that intentionally hurt my feelings. And I told him about the dress I was wearing and he said 'You look cute' And yeah, at first I was touched, I was _so happy_ he thought I looked pretty and that's when I remembered." I turned to look Charles in the eyes "That's when I **fucking** remembered, Matt's **fucking blind.** " Charles laughed, "Really?" I nodded, "Yeah! No light perception."

"I stood there for like a solid minute just _staring,_ and all the little shit did was **laugh,** Matt laughed and walked across my room, took off his fucking _sunglasses,_ his fucking _white cane_ tapping in front of him, and dropped his laptop on my bed and sat down. I didn't move at all, just stared where he was standing a few seconds ago and he asked me if I was alright with a shit-eating grin on his face, 'Do I look alright, asshole?!' I snapped at him and we were both quiet for a few seconds. Then we burst out laughing and we were cool, he didn't care what I wore and he often helped me out with my outfits before I moved to the mansion." I gestured to myself, "I started **calling** myself Penelope when I looked like this in the middle of freshmen year."

I opened his classroom door for him and fixed my posture immediately when I caught sight of the students sitting down inside. "Well, it was marvelous to have this chat with you but I must be off," Charles nodded and shifted in his wheelchair when I switched to Penelope's voice, "Yes, of course, we can continue our conversation after classes have ended for the day." I smiled and stepped away, "I look forward to it, Professor Xavier, cheerio!" I turned and strolled down the hall in confident strides. I heard Charles's classroom door shut quietly behind him. I took out my lip gloss and reapplied it then put it back. I took off towards the parlor room, I have **lots** of time to kill before I'll want to go see the others.

When I got there there were two people there, two girls, one that looked younger than 8 and another that looked 13. The little girl was sitting on the floor while the older girl sat behind her on the couch, looking frustrated and ready to cry. I frowned slightly and walked towards the two of them, my heels muffled on the green carpet, "Is something the matter dearies?" The black-haired girl's head snapped towards me and she stammered slightly, "I- I'm sorry, ma'am! We'll get to class as soon as I finish Audrey's hair." I looked over the two girls then sat down on the couch next to them, "What's your name, dear?" I directed to the older girl, "Valerie Hampton, ma'am, and this is Audrey Bissonnette." I nodded and smiled, "My name is Penelope Rodgers and I could do her hair for you if you'd like?" I held out my hand, Valerie hesitated then handed me the two brown hair ties she had, I rolled them onto my wrist. She leaned down closer to Audrey, **"Son nom est Penelope Rodgers, elle va te coiffer."** My smile grew and Valerie leaned back as Audrey scooted to the side to sit at my feet.

I shook my head, smiling, and softly pat the thigh of my dress. **"Viens t'asseoir ici petit agneau, je ne mords pas."** It's been _too_ long since I've spoken a full sentence in French. Audrey giggled and scrambled up to sit on my thighs. Valerie sighed out in relief, "I was trying to do braids and I thought I'd be able to do them because I can do them on myself but I can't." I chuckled lightly and started sectioning off Audrey's long brown hair. "And then I got so stressed when I couldn't do them right and I got even _more_ stressed when I saw classes were starting and holy shit we're late for class!" I glanced at her, "You can go off to class, I can take Audrey to her classroom." Valerie looked up at me with admiration, "Really?" I nodded and crossed a section of hair over the other. "I'd hate for you to get in trouble for simply trying to help someone." She smiled and stood up, grabbing her green backpack from the floor, "Thank you, Miss Rodgers!" She called as she ran down the hall towards her first-period classroom. I grinned and started crisscrossing her hair, **"Quelle classe avez-vous pour vos premières règles?"** Audrey gently kicked her feet back and forth against my legs. **"J'ai le Professeur Lehnsherr dans la matinée!"** I chuckled, **"Est-ce qu'il vous enseigne l'anglais?"** She made a sound of confirmation.

Erik taught the Foreign Language class because he knew the third most languages in the mansion besides Hank and Charles. But Hank already taught Physics and Chemistry and Charles was the English Professor. Alex taught alongside Hank in his classroom as a geophysics professor, Logan taught History and P.E, Raven taught Performing Arts along with training the X-Men alongside Erik, Hank, and Alex, Kitty taught Computer Science, Colossus taught Art, Bobby taught Math, John was the librarian,(ironically enough) and Rogue is the Business Class Professor. Erik being the Foreign Language Professor meant that he also taught the students that weren't native English speakers. I finished her braid and gently tapped her shoulder, **"Fini, petit agneau."** Audrey hopped off my lap and I stood up, smoothing out my dress. She picked up her pink backpack and slung it on over her shoulder, she placed her hand in mine when I offered my hand for her to take.

We walked down the hall, her pink flats a soft tapping to the sharp sound of my black heels against the polished floor. Audrey looked up at me, **"Vous êtes très jolie."** I laughed, **"Merci, tu es très mignonne aussi."** She giggled and started swinging our hands between us. All of the classrooms were on the ground floor along with two kitchens, a cafeteria for the students, a dining room for the X-Men and professors, Charles's office, and day rooms scattered here and there. The first floor actually housed the mutants, the X-Men had their own hall with Charles's room at the end of the hall, the other professors had the rooms closest to the staircase, the library extended to both floors, and a large ballroom with outside balconies that was probably already decorated for the dance tonight. The attic was used as more of a storage unit. The subbasement, of course, held Cerebro, the Blackbird Hanger, the Danger Room, laboratory, and the dressing room.

We got closer and closer to Erik's classroom until we were standing in front of the door, I knocked. " _Come in._ " I pushed open the door and smiled at Erik who stood at the front of the room, in front of the blackboard. "I hate to intrude but I've come to deliver one of your students, Audrey Bissonnette." Erik straightened up when he saw me and I saw his eyes widen when he heard me speak before his attention was drawn to Audrey as she peeked out from behind me and waved shyly at him. He nodded slightly to her and gestured to an empty seat at the front. I let go of her hand and she skipped to her seat, Erik motioned for me to come closer so I walked up to stand next to him. "Charles told me," He whispered, leaning towards me, and I chuckled, responding just as quietly in my normal voice. "I know, I told him to tell the professors. Though only you, Professor Howlett, and Charles know it's me."

 _My fucking dad knows I can rock a dress._ Of course, he doesn't _know_ he's my dad but, like, he still knows I can rock a dress.

"I'm going to tell Hank myself after his first-period class ends." Erik nodded, "He'd probably be able to smell that it's you but of course just in case. Though I have _one_ question, 'Supernatural Intelligence'?" I chuckled lightly, _oh fuck me, I fucking forgot._ "More of a jack of all trades if you ask me." Fortunately, he seemed to understand what I was getting at, even if I was _still_ a lying _bastard_. "You know a little bit about everything." I hummed in agreement then straightened out and leaned away from Erik, switching back to Penelope's voice, "Sorry again for intruding on your class time, Lehnsherr, but I still have a bit of a stroll to finish, I've heard from my friend about how big this place is and I would like to see it all before classes end." He also straightened out and nodded, "Of course, it'll take some time to go through every corridor and I would hate to keep you for longer than needed." Thank fuck, at least he's playing along.

I turned and started walking out of the classroom, waving at Audrey as I passed her desk, **"Au revoir, petit agneau."** She giggled and waved back, **"Au revoir, mademoiselle Penelope!"** I grinned and waved over my shoulder, **"Bis später, Professor Lehnsherr."** The German words rolled off my tongue easily. It was one of the languages that I learned while I was at the mansion, because of the people I knew in my past I never wanted to learn how to speak the two languages that haunt me to this day. But when I came to the mansion I started wanting to learn because of Colossus, Erik, and Kurt (even if I would never hold a conversation with them) so I found some books in Russian and German in the library. I tried not to feel smug at the wide-eyed look Erik was giving me as I walked out of his classroom but I managed to shock _Erik Lehnsherr,_ who _wouldn't_ be smug about that?

I turned left, continuing down the hall of classrooms. The first classroom in this hall was Erik's, then Bobby's, then Rogue's with Hank and Alex's classroom at the end of the hall. The hall that I came from had Kitty's classroom, Colossus's, then Charles' classroom at the end. On the other side of the courtyard was Raven's large classroom along with Logan's classroom that opened up to the gym. Classes went on for about 80 minutes and every student had 4 different periods every day, (Physics and Chemistry, English, History, Art, or P.E., Math, Computer Science, Business Class, e.g) except for non-English speakers or the students learning another language, who had 5 periods each day. I had about an hour and 12 minutes until the first period ends and I can go to Hank and Alex's classroom since the two of them had their free period right after their first-period class. There were so many things that I could **do,** so many things I could **say,** as Penelope that Peter could only **dream** of.

I continued down the hall until I got to the student's cafeteria. The student cafeteria was the cafeteria that the students ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in while the smaller dining room had a kitchen attached to it for the X-Men. The lunchroom and the kitchen of the student cafeteria were two separate rooms next to each other which was the only reason I saw Kurt in the student kitchen. The X-Men were all too old to be in high school but Kurt and Jubilee chose to take online college courses since Kurt graduated high school last year and Jubilee graduated three years ago. Jean and Scott already did their college classes.

I opened the kitchen door and spoke, "Fancy running into you again, hun." Kurt jumped and I smiled at him when he turned around swiftly. He stammered and I took the opportunity to step fully into the kitchen. "I wasn't expecting to see you this far into the student's quarters." There were three trays of chocolate-covered strawberries behind him on the counter. He rubbed the back of his neck with a three-fingered hand, "A-Ah, vell, Varren left to ko do zomezing zo I vas chust vandering around." I nodded, "I see." I sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen, "I suspect you got Charles' message earlier this morning?" Kurt nodded slowly, "Zat your name is Benelope Rodger? **Ja."** I looked over him and he started to fidget under my gaze.

I pat the stool beside me and Kurt hesitated before he came over and sat down next to me. **"Wenn es einfacher ist, können wir auf Deutsch sprechen."** Kurt visibly relaxed at the sound of the German words coming out of my mouth. **"Es ist einfacher. Danke."** No matter how long he's been here he's never been able to get rid of his accent so a lot of people still have a hard time understanding him. To make him comfortable you have to meet him in **his** element, where **he's** most relaxed.

We fell into easy conversation, talking about trivial things that won't matter tomorrow. It was nice having a full conversation in German with someone, Joshua was fluent but he finally got his job as a criminal investigator so he couldn't talk as often as when he was still working in the police force. It was the same with everyone in our family so my French, German, and Spanish were a bit rusty. Some of the languages I spoke the others didn't even know how to speak such as Polish, Italian, Japanese, and Russian. But I could speak Russian with Azazel so my Russian wasn't _that_ bad and Polish _is_ my first language so I don't think I'll ever become bad at speaking it.

Kurt and I talked about the people in the mansion, how his college courses were going, how he was doing. ( _I_ knew how he was doing, _Penelope_ didn't) We talked about Warren too, Kurt didn't give any indication that he liked him but he blushed a bit when I brought him up. Somewhere in the middle of our chat, I moved back into English while Kurt stayed in German since I could still understand him. We eventually moved onto the topic of why I was here.

I tilted my head upwards slightly, "Well, I know someone in the mansion so I thought 'Why not take a look, I want to see this safe haven for mutants that he talks about all the time.' He suggested that Valentine's Day would be a good day as you all have a party later in the night. And since _I'm_ here _he_ has time to himself, which he is using that time to see some of our other friends that _don't_ live in the mansion." Kurt nodded, **"Dein Freund ist kein Student, weil sich heute niemand abgemeldet hat."** I shook my head, "No, he's the same age as me, though granted he _is_ eight days older." **"Dein reund ist dann ein X-Men? Ich wusste nicht, dass einer von ihnen Leute außerhalb der Villa kannte, und keiner von ihnen sprach jemals über einen Mutanten wie Sie."**

I shrugged, "Of course he hasn't, do you know what'll happen if one of your enemies find out he has friends _outside_ of this lovely and protected haven? Not all of our friends are mutants and the ones that _are_ mutants aren't all _known_ as mutants. I may be a mutant myself but my mutation is 'Supernatural Intelligence' not 'Supernatural Strength'. I'm a good fighter but a lot of people overpower me by a good portion." Kurt nodded slower and I smiled, "Who is the _one_ second-generation X-Men you _haven't_ seen this morning?"

Kurt tilted his head to the side in thought. **"Jean und ich halfen heute Morgen beim Dekorieren, ich sah Ororo außerhalb von Kittys Klassenzimmer, Scott war bei Alex, ich war bei Warren und Jubilee sprach mit einigen jüngeren Schülern. Das lässt also... Peter! Ich habe Peter noch nicht gesehen!"** I chuckled and clapped my hands quietly, "Yes, Peter left early in the morning and let me in. We met through my step-sibling in high school and he's been a delight ever since." Kurt rocked back and forth a bit on his stool. **"Peter ist eine sehr nette Person, viele Leute erkennen das nicht an."** I smilled softly at the compliment and agreed quietly, "He is, he is." Some people didn't _want_ to acknowledge that mutants have a good side, _especially_ not the group of mutants that represented mutantkind.

I looked up to stare at the clock in the kitchen and found I had 7 minutes until the first period classes ended. I sighed, "Oh how time flies when you're having fun," I said and stood up from my stool. Kurt watched me stand up, "I wanted to speak to Hank before I finished looking around the mansion and he and Alex don't have another class until their third period." Kurt nodded, **"Ah, ja, natürlich."** I chuckled lightly at his dejected words and turned to him, "Don't be so sad, I'm staying until midnight hun, and I'm sure we'll see each other throughout the day. And you can always talk to Peter about me when he comes back tomorrow, we've known each other for nearly 14 years, he's bound to know a lot about me." Kurt nodded a little more happily. I chuckled and started making my way to the door. Before I walked out I turned my head to look at Kurt over my shoulder, "Oh, and Kurt?" He hummed and looked up, tail swaying slowly behind him.

"Talk to Warren, whenever you're ready, I can assure you your love is reciprocated."

I started making my way back towards the corridor where Alex and Hank's classroom was. Alex was really more like Hank's assistant but they both taught different subjects, it was fun to think about sometimes. I crossed my arms behind my back and walked on confidently with my back straight, no doubt looking every bit as powerful as I felt. It was weird, walking around without having to worry about keeping up the constant energetic persona Peter had. But it was a nice weird because it meant being able to take a break from being an X-Men. It meant being **just Penelope** or **just Pietro,** mutants that didn't have to worry about popularity or appearances because they weren't **Peter,** a mutant that _everyone_ knew the name of. I've always considered Penelope, Pietro, and Peter as different people because they _weren't_ the _same_ but they were still _me_ in every sense. I leaned my back against the wall next to Alex and Hank's classroom door.

Penelope is gentle, sweet, and quiet. She was intelligent because there wasn't anyone that wanted to judge and make fun of her for it. People didn't judge a woman because she's wearing a dress or a skirt or high heels because that was normal.  
Pietro is mature, intimidating, and quiet. He was rational because people didn't question a man that had a thick accent and a menacing stare. People could judge him all they wanted because his hair used to go all the way to his waist and used to be kept in a braid but they'd never say anything about it to his face because they've seen all the scars that never healed correctly because he had to do it himself.  
Peter is rude, arrogant, and loud. He was upfront because humans and mutants didn't need to think they were better than the other because they were stronger. They judged him behind his back and he knew this because to him it was always too quiet so he tried to fill the silence he heard with worthless words so he didn't have to think about how people felt about him even though he already knew because their whispers were always so **loud**.

The bell rang.

I snapped out of whatever my next thoughts were going to be and pushed myself off of the wall. Their classroom door opened and I smiled at the students leaving the classroom, I nodded to the ones that looked at me and they nodded back before going back to talking to their friends. I waited for another few seconds until I was positive that nobody else was going to walk out of the doors and I walked into the classroom, closing the door softly behind me. It looked like any normal high school science classroom but fancier and with reinforced walls. There were three rows of four tables that had two stools and two desks in the front of the classroom, one of the desks was Hank's and the other's was Alex's."-and I haven't had anything to eat since, like, yesterday morning." I chuckled lightly, "There are some chocolate strawberries in the student kitchen but Kurt was eyeing them earlier so I don't know if there are any left." I notified Alex and I stopped between the first two desks in the room.

Hank was sitting behind his desk and was looking down at papers while Alex was sitting on the surface of Hank's desk, he started when I spoke and Hank snapped his head up. Alex hopped off Hank's desk when he saw me, "Hey, Penelope Rodgers, right? Charles told us. It's great to meet you." I took his offered hand and shook it, "Likewise, Alex Summers." I observed in the back of my mind that Hank was in his human form which meant that his senses were heightened but not in the same way they were heightened when he was in his Beast form. He wouldn't be able to catch my scent and be able to tell that it's me.

I didn't dwell on it for too long as Alex spoke again, "You said there were chocolate-covered strawberries in the student kitchen?" I smiled and nodded, "Yes, I left Kurt in there, I'm not certain if he's still there, however." Alex nodded and started walking to the door of the classroom. "That's fine," he turned around to look at me and Hank as he walked backward, "Well, I'm off to get myself some breakfast." His back abruptly hit the door and he turned around, "Don't have too much fun without me!" Alex called and I rolled my eyes as he exited the classroom.

It was quiet for a few seconds until I sighed softly and shook my head, "Chocolate-covered strawberries, not a very healthy breakfast for someone who hasn't eaten for a day." Hank didn't reply and when I turned around to look at him he seemed to be frozen. I gave him a bewildered smile, "Are you quite alright sweetheart?" Hank snapped out of whatever trance he was in and swallowed. "U-Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I raised an eyebrow as he hastily looked back down at his papers.

I walked behind Alex's desk and leaned back against it slightly, "Are you sure? You seem nervous." I watched as Hank's blue eyes darted around the classroom, looking anywhere but at me. "I- I am, it's just, um, you're..." He trailed off, large hands clenching on the surface of the desk. Unclench. "You're just very beautiful and you're making it a tad bit hard to focus." His words came out rushed but I still understood him. My eyes widened in surprise at the admission (because Hank has always been too nervous to _outwardly_ call someone attractive) but I evened out my expression.

I smiled and put my hand over my chest, "You think I'm attractive?" Hank's hands clenched on his desk again, "Y- Yes, you're v- very beautiful." I chuckled and sat down in Alex's seat behind his desk. I ignored the shattered feeling in my chest because Hank was talking about **Penelope.** "Aw, Hank." I grinned and kicked my feet up on Alex's desk, leaning back in his chair. The _epitome_ of unladylike.

"That might've been the first time anyone in the mansion has called me attractive. And I've lived here for five years."

There was silence after I spoke in my normal voice and I watched with glee as Hank's face went white and then red in embarrassment. Hank slowly turned his head towards me, "Peter?" His voice was quiet with disbelief.

I grinned again, spreading out my arms. "The one and only, big guy. I forgot to tell you but your appearance changer works like a _charm._ " Hank sputtered, obviously still not processing what was going on, "W- Wha- are you-" I cut him off, "Oh no, I'm not using it now, I used it yesterday when I went out for a bit. This is _all_ me McCoy." Hank's eyebrows furrowed and he pressed the palm of his left hand to his temple, leaning his left elbow on his desk. "Peter- I- You-" He stammered, clearly not entirely sure how to start. "What the **fuck?** "

I threw my head back and laughed loudly. The sound was so very obviously **Peter** that it would be pointless for anyone to even _try_ and deny it was me.

Hank squawked indignantly when I started laughing which made me laugh more. I heard him growl, the sound coming from deep in his chest, I honestly forgot he could do that in his human form. The next thing I know Alex's chair is being tipped to the side and my laughter is cut off as I yelped. I planted my feet back on the solid floor and my hands flew to clutch the armrests tightly in fear of falling as Hank pulled the chair towards him. I turned my head to the side to stare at him, his teeth were bared and there were splotches of blue on his neck. The blue was the only indication that he was actually angry.

"Don't laugh at me, **Maximoff.** "

Hank snarled and I took a quick breath, Hank wasn't scary but he sure as _fuck_ was intimidating when he wanted to be. " _I'll_ stop laughing at you when _you_ stop being an utter _fool,_ " Hank growled louder in response and he grabbed my leather jacket, pulling me closer to him. I watched him struggle to keep his human mind and his animalistic mind separate, probably worried he'd hurt me. He's gonna have to realize someday that the only way for him to hurt me is if I let him. I placed one of my hands over the hand that was gripping my jacket and gently pried his sharpening nails from the leather, "Relax, Hank, you're a fool but I didn't mean it this time." I only let go of Hank's hand when the blue was gone from his neck and his nails were short and not black. His grip on Alex's chair loosened and he leaned forward slightly, still trying to calm down completely.

He took a deep breath. "I know you didn't, I just- you're just so **infuriating** sometimes, Peter." I chuckled, "Oh I **know,** big guy." Hank grinned and looked at me, light blue eyes meeting dark brown ones. All of a sudden Hank went rigid and pulled away from me quickly. I raised an eyebrow at him when he quickly moved back behind his own desk.

The classroom door opened abruptly and Alex stepped into the room, my head snapped towards him. He pushed the door open with his shoulder and walked in with a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries in one hand and a protein shake in the other. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, switching back to Penelope's voice and trying to ignore everything that just happened. "I didn't actually think you were **serious** when you said you were going to eat chocolate-covered strawberries for breakfast." He shrugged and walked closer into the room, "You should've taken me seriously. Hey, you said you left Kurt in the student kitchen right?" I nodded, "Yes, I wasn't sure if he left or not."

"No, no, he was in there, he was just... I think the right word would be flustered? His face was all purple and shit and blue people blush purple." Alex set his plate and drink down on his desk and stood beside his desk, "What the _fuck_ did you _say_ to him?" I raised an eyebrow at him and plucked a strawberry from his plate, "I simply told him to go talk to Warren, when he's ready, of course." Alex's eyebrows furrowed, "Why would Kurt need to go talk to Warren? He talked to him earlier today, didn't he? In the kitchen." I removed the stem from the strawberry and looked between the two men, I threw the stem away in the trashcan beside Alex's desk. "...Is it _not_ that easy to tell the two are in love with each other?" Alex opened his mouth then closed it. "I knew Warren was in love with Kurt but I didn't know the feelings were mutual." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When I spoke again my words were deliberate.

"The poor boy _wears his heart on his sleeve_ and you _didn't_ know he was in love?" Alex stammered, "He's a very devoted Christian boy!" I rubbed my temple with my free hand, "Yes, but it's called the **bi-ble,** not the **straight-ble,** for Jupiter's sake." I popped the strawberry into my mouth and started chewing. The strawberry tasted fresh and the chocolate was nice. Alex's mouth opened and closed, "That's true." He eventually said.

Alex grabbed his protein shake and brought it up to his mouth to take a sip. His eyes widened and he quickly swallowed his drink, he frantically gestured his free hand to his chair. "Hank! What the hell did you do to my chair!" I smoothed out my expression into something serious and turned towards the scientist, " **Yeah,** Hank, what **did** you do to Summer's _poor_ chair?" Hank stuttered and looked between the two of us. Alex and I broke out laughing at his face. He huffed and turned back to his papers on his desk, clearly trying to ignore us. I covered my mouth with one hand and held up the other, Alex smacked it with his own.

I took a deep breath after I stopped laughing and stood up from Alex's chair. I had a lot of time until classes switched but I wanted as much time as I could get to myself today.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you two but I must be off. Xavier warned me that Raven would seek me out and her break is right after yours." Alex went behind his desk, "You're going to let Raven find you?" I gave a sly smile and shrugged, "I want to hear what she'll say to me. And who knows, her words might even entertain me." I started making my way to the door and I turned around before I left, "I'll see you two later this evening, at the Valentine's Day party that my friend has entrusted me to help supervise." Alex raised his hand in farewell and he sat down in his chair, grumbling at the claw marks on the armrest.

Hank looked up and our eyes locked for a few seconds longer than necessary. I raised an eyebrow with a look that meant 'We'll talk later' and then turned and left their classroom.

**Author's Note:**

> I changed the timeline so that the characters were the age I envisioned them as. Everyone's birth dates will stay the same unless they weren't explicitly stated in the movie-verse and the only difference is that they'll be the age they'd be in that specific year. The Beach Divorce happened in 1965 and Days Of Future Past took place in 1970, making Peter 15 when he broke into the Pentagon. Apocalypse takes place seven years later and Dark Phoenix happened three years after that in 1980. The time now is almost 2 years after that, making Peter 26 going on 27 in this current timeline. Because of a personal headcanon of mine, Peter was still in school when he broke Erik out of the Pentagon and then got expelled a year later at 16 in Junior year for being a mutant. Hank was born in 1949, making him only 6 years older than Peter while Kurt is 19. Scott and Jean are the same age, 22, while Warren and Ororo are 24, and Jubilee is 21. Alex is 41 and I've decided to make Charles and Erik the same age which would be 49. Some of the younger students, such as Bobby Drake and Kitty Pryde, are portrayed as older and are professors. Another thing, not everything that appears in the story is historically correct or canon, I know certain things weren't made until much later among the other things and characters that are written about or mentioned.
> 
> Peter Maximoff is such a fun and easy character for me to write because as a speedster he talks fast and when you talk fast you say a lot more things and writing him allows me to just veer off into tangents as I'm writing his dialogue. I'll still have trouble writing certain aspects of him as I will with all the other characters so they will all often be OOC, sorry. I'm not the best at writing action scenes or gore but I'll try my best if and when it comes to those scenes. I've also never written a character with ADHD before so my deepest apologies if some of the things I write about are not correct or offend someone who does have ADHD, feel free to correct me!
> 
> In this timeline, Erik doesn't leave at the end of Apocalypse and Warren is alive and lives in the mansion. Everything that happens in Dark Phoenix still happens but Mystique doesn't die, Jean survives and Charles doesn't retire. Peter also manages to save Alex. Yay! I like Sean Cassidy a fuckton as well so he's alive but nobody in the mansion knows that. Think of this as a fix-it.
> 
> Many of the relationship tags you see will happen later on in the story such as Warren and Kurt, Jean and Jubilee, Sean and Alex, and Angel and Raven.


End file.
